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What a fantastic end to an incredible journey! The last visit of the PlaidNation tour was at Launch Pad, a New Orleans based co-working environment where entrepreneurs, freelancers and creative professionals share collaborative workspace downtown.

LaunchPad is one of a few new, up and coming places where entrepreneurs are setting up shop and bringing New Orleans back to life. There's an incredible sense of community within the internet/creative/developer/freelancer population of NOLA, and the energy is inviting. There's also some sweet new tax incentives that are helping business people set their operations up here.

The Launchpad visit was a virtual interview-love-fest. We interviewed LaunchPad, they interviewed us. We interviewed Tiffany Starnes, and she interviewed us. And then we joined Jeremy Wright and Katie Del Guercio on the live LaunchPadTV show!

Thanks to Chris Schultz, Tiffany Starnes and the LaunchPad crew for a great end of tour visit!

Labels: new orleans

posted by darryl ohrt at 5:13 PM 3 Comments

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The Make It Right Foundation was at the top of our list for visits while in New Orleans. Having seen photos of the stunning architecture and build plans for the lower 9th Ward, we couldn't wait to share the story.

Upon arrival to Tennessee Street, you can't help but be moved. It's heart wrenching to see the devastation, the abandoned lots, the spray painted warnings outside of still empty homes. And it's awe inspiring to see a street filling with abundance and hope. Construction vehicles move continuously up and down the street, from project to project. Residents are moving in.

The Make It Right Foundation is building several homes on Tennessee Street. These are no ordinary homes. These homes are LEED Platinum certified, have been built to survive future hurricanes similar to or worse than Katrina, and have been designed by some of the most prominent architects from around the globe.

We chatted with Executive Director Tom Darden about what the Make It Right Foundation is up to, the fashion-like trend curves of brand awareness that disaster or event oriented non-profits deal with, and what's in the future for the organization.

See the interview with Executive Director Tom Darden and Robert, a Tennessee Street resident who just moved into his new Make it Right home, on the PlaidNation wrap up video for New Orleans.

Labels: new orleans

posted by darryl ohrt at 4:55 PM 0 Comments

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While in Jackson, Mississippi, we stopped at NunoErin, a new company founded by Nuno and Erin.

They design and produce furniture and installations that promote interactions between people and objects. If you're re-working your space, redesigning a client's space or looking for something really unique to get people talking about your space or event, you need to see this.

Their products include:
+ Wall panels that react to human touch (like those 80's t-shirts times TEN.)
+ Stools, lounges and other furniture that react to body temperature, sunlight and touch
+ Pillows that promote human interaction and touch

They've also created a system for sustainable lighting of outdoor surfaces like concrete and pavement using bio luminescent organisms. These don't require power and could be used for temporary or permanent installations. Possibilities include:
+ Lighting streets and sidewalks for events, with custom colors and design
+ Way-finding graphics for flood-prone areas (like New Orleans) that don't require power or structures (imagine roads that glow in the dark to help trapped citizens find their way to safety.)

We fell in love with Nuno & Erin, their incredible studio and the possibilities that their work bring to the architectural, interior design and event industries. We think you will, too.

See video of Nuno, Erin and the NunoErin products in action on the wrapup video for Jackson, Mississippi. Definitely needs to be seen to be believed!

Labels: jackson

posted by darryl ohrt at 9:55 PM 0 Comments

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While in Memphis, we had the opportunity to meet another agency - Red Deluxe, who are local faves in the Memphis creative community.

Sporting clients like the Red Cross and the American Lung Association, Red Deluxe is clearly at the forefront of the non-profit industry.

While non-profits aren't their entire business (we just missed a meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies) this is an area where they lead the pack. Non-profits who work with the Deluxe team get the same Deluxe action and experience that their commercial clients enjoy.

That's one of the many lessons that they shared with us during our meeting at their agency, too. Plenty of non-profits take the attitude of "we can't" or "it's not appropriate" because they're a non-profit. Red Deluxe reminds us that it's all about the audience - and if you can break through the clutter with an appropriate message for your audience - that doesn't mean you can't be irreverent, can't have fun, or can't do what you haven't done before.

See the Red Deluxe interview in its entirety on the Plaid Nation wrapup video for Memphis, or follow Red Deluxe on Twitter!

Labels: memphis

posted by darryl ohrt at 4:33 PM 1 Comments

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FedEx has one of the most perfect delivery records of any company in any business. More than 99%. But when you're dealing with millions of packages delivered every day, if .01% of your overall business experiences a service failure (even by five minutes), that can represent a few thousand people. That's a near perfect delivery record, yet there are still a few thousand people left unhappy.

What if a percentage of those people are on Twitter? Or have blogs? This presents an interesting challenge that only a high volume brand like FedEx might experience. Chances are that you're not tweeting "I just received my FedEx package." Or "just dropped my package at the FedEx box." But if you were one of the .01%, you might be tempted to tweet "FedEx didn't deliver my package today."

People are most passionate about brands when they do something extraordinary. Extraordinarily good or extraordinarily bad. But every day success? Probably not. When soap works well in your dishwasher, do you tweet about it? Nope. But if it fails, or does something magical, you may choose to share it with the world.

We found this to be an interesting challenge that FedEx and other high volume brands have to deal with every day. FedEx has a team of people devoted to monitoring this social chatter, and they proactively reach out to folks experiencing issues. They've also created blogs and other media to help tell more of the magical things that they're doing every day. They're clearly doing a great job at managing the .01% in addition to the 99.9% success stories. For good reason. FedEx SVP of Digital Access Marketing Mark Colombo points out that a 1% increase in loyalty can bring significant earnings straight to the bottom line.

What about your brand? Are you addressing the .01%?

Labels: fedex, memphis

posted by darryl ohrt at 6:54 AM 0 Comments

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Plaid was welcomed to FedEx yesterday with a red carpet.

When we added Memphis to the Plaid tour route, FedEx was an obvious choice for a stop. With 32,000 employees in Memphis, they're the supporters of a ton of commerce in the market. They're also one of the world's most iconic brands, a part of American pop culture and have a history of award winning advertising.

Matt Ceniceros from the Media Relations team saw our tweets and invited us in. Matt managed to schedule an interview with Director of Advertising Steve Pacheco, and made our day.

Most executives of Steve's stature would prefer to be stuck in a meeting, out playing golf or tending to their inbox. But not Steve. He hung with the PlaidNation tour crew for most of his morning - chatting about advertising, the industry, FedEx business, and branding. Steve shared plenty of great stories and insight, and gave us some inside scoop on future plans and ideas for the brand. We learned much from an advertising superstar.

See our interview with Steve in the Plaid Nation wrapup video for Memphis, and follow Matt and Steve on Twitter. Thanks, Matt, Steve, and the entire purple team in Memphis!

Labels: fedex, memphis

posted by darryl ohrt at 6:36 AM 1 Comments

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When you're in a different city every day meeting really cool people, one of the first things they usually do is point you to the most awesome local eateries.

No matter how much you think "you're going to be really good today," you find yourself in situations like "well, I'll never have BBQ like this ever again, so I might as well..." And you do.

Eventually, you begin to crave sugar, fat and meat constantly. We've pretty much accepted that we have a need to eat every two hours now, while on tour. We're naming our meals, too:

Pre-breakfast (at the hotel)
Breakfast (Could be Starbucks, could be waffles)
Snack (highly caffeinated, and something sugary)
Lunch
Linner (the new meal between lunch and dinner)
Snack (highly caffeinated, and something sugary)
Dinner (must include BBQ or many fried things)
Post dinner (a second dinner that some people call dessert)
Snack (this one's optional)

Oh yeah - and most of these meals are complimented with the best local brews. Needless to say, by the time we get to New Orleans, we'll all be wearing sweatpants.

Labels: lifeontheroad, yummy food

posted by darryl ohrt at 7:29 AM 5 Comments

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It’s back. We still have a nice collection of FREE Subway cards we need to give away while on tour. DID WE MENTION FREE? This keeps Subway the tour sponsor happy and keeps us at Plaid happy. If you win? It will keep you happy.

So here’s the deal: Today, Wednesday, we’ll pick 20 people on Twitter at random and give them each one $5 dollar gift card.

All ya have to do: From now until midnight tonight, tweet something interesting and original using the tags: #plaidnation and #subway

Facts, fiction, whatever. BE CREATIVE. No adult content, no illegal stuff, yatta. Basically, follow Twitter’s TOS. We’ll pick the 20 and let you know by Thursday.

The other rules:
1) Your update has to have those two tags above.
2) If you were one of last week’s winners, you’re not eligible today.
3) $5 dollar card is only good in the U.S. and Canada.

Winners will then be asked to contact rj *at* plaid.com with their winning tweet, name and valid mailing address, Winning tweets will also be viewable on Plaid’s tour blog.

posted by mtlb at 12:10 AM 2 Comments

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(Clearly the coolest Mayor in the nation is the one who let Plaid take over Denver.)

The second coolest Mayor is none other than Raeanne Presley (yes, she's related). Within a few hours of our arrival in Branson, she saw our tweets and reached out. We scheduled a meeting using Twitter and conducted an awesome interview.

We learned about how Branson is doing during the recession (just fine), how they're dealing with the brand image of old people in Branson, that hillbillies do still exist, and the difference between a jubilee and a jamboree.

See the full interview in the wrapup video for Branson on the tour dashboard, and follow Mayor Presley on Twitter.

Thanks, Mayor Presley from your friends at Plaid!

Labels: branson

posted by darryl ohrt at 4:57 PM 0 Comments

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Dept Zero is pretty awesome for a variety of reasons. Sure, they have Pabst Blue Ribbon on tap in their "fun room". They do killer work for a bunch of really impressive clients. And they're bringing art to their community in a most impressive way.

They found an abandoned space in town and turned it into a venue for artists, DJ's, bands, fashion designers and other creatives without the resources to have a space of their own. They've made the space available FOR FREE for any artists in the community. In a band, and want a place to play? Want to produce a fashion show for your new line of clothes? Need a space to show your photography or fine art? Not a problem.

How'd they do it?
First, they convinced one of their clients, Scion to sponsor the space. This wasn't difficult as the space plays perfectly to the Scion brand and the audience they want to reach. Then they partnered with a local venue (conveniently next door) to get a liquor license (and bartenders.) A local sculptor adopted the cause and created furniture, a DJ booth and lighting from Scion parts, jet engine parts, and other junk yard finds.

The end result is the Scion Lab - a space that's pretty much booked solid through October, helping the arts scene thrive in Kansas City, while building buzz for Scion. Everyone wins.

Labels: kansas city

posted by darryl ohrt at 4:08 PM 0 Comments

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Hanging with Dept Zero in Kansas City was pretty awesome. They just opened a massive "fun room" that you walk into when you enter their space, and they wanted to open it in style. So, like any agency, they threw a party.

Dept Zero happens to be pretty good at producing parties and events. Since their fun room looks kind of like a really cool bar, they decided to brand it as Todd's Downtown Banana Lounge. And the website was born. And of course, that called for a commercial (above). If you have a commercial, you need a phone number that people can call (816-994-9763). And that's how the party started...

Word spread around Kansas City pretty quickly. Todd's the type of guy that everyone in town wants to hang with. He quickly grew a fan base. And fans produced jingles and videos. Todd joined Facebook.

On opening night, Dept Zero hosted a massive crowd that included bridal parties, a bunch of locals and the Kansas City Alternative paper - who showed up to document the new, hottest club in Kansas City.

In the end, everyone had a blast, some locals were confused about this odd new bar, and Todd's Banana Lounge will probably live long in some way that they never imagined. Want to host a party of your own? We suggest you give Todd a call.

Labels: kansas city

posted by darryl ohrt at 9:08 PM 0 Comments

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Think that social media is just for your customers? One of the many things that we learned while visiting the Sprint World Headquarters in Kansas City was how they're using social media to communicate with their employees.

If you've got thousands and thousands of employees spread across the world, chances are you're going to need something better than an employee newsletter. Sprint has found that some of the same tools they use to communicate with their customers have also been super effective at spreading the word with their employees.

Sprint employees have internal blogs, communities and other tools to learn about what's happening, what's working, what's popping and what people are chatting about. Social tools happen to be an effective way to get these messages out quickly.

Sprint's setting the example for large employers and social media. Rather than blocking access to all of the latest social tools, they treat their employees like adults. They understand that employees have a purpose and trust that they'll do their jobs - even with Facebook and Twitter at their fingertips. (When you sell products that utilize these tools, it makes sense to let your employees use them too.)

Internal communications are clearly the next wave in social media for big business. We met with Jason and Jennifer at Sprint and chatted about this and other social media goodness. See it all in the Kansas City wrapup video at PlaidNation.

Labels: kansas city, sprint

posted by darryl ohrt at 8:06 PM 0 Comments

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That's the advice we received from two of the industry's most revered podcasters/bloggers/small agency dudes when we asked "what would you tell other creative people who have thought about starting a podcast, a blog or other means of putting yourself out there?"

We consider John and Tug to be the unmistakably voices for the rest of us. For the workers in the smaller agencies. The shops outside of NYC or San Francisco. The shops who are working on real business, creative solutions, and doing an awesome job. John and Tug are with you, and they're sharing their stories.

Listening to an American Copywriter podcast is like having a beer with a friend in the business. And their blog is fun and informative. That's what's made them successful, and connected to the creative community across the globe.

We had the awesome opportunity to meet them at Sullivan, Higdon and Sink during our visit to Kansas City. See the entire interview in the PlaidNation wrap up video for Kansas City!

Labels: kansas city

posted by darryl ohrt at 6:56 PM 0 Comments

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While enjoying a weekend off in Kansas City, we were treated to a luxurious stay at the Q Hotel and Spa.

Once you stay at the Q, you'll wonder why every hotel in the world isn't doing the same thing. This is clearly the future of the hospitality industry.

The Q has taken a dedicated approach to creating the ultimate green hotel. They're one of the eleven most green hotels in the nation. They've taken the hotel business past anything that you've experienced before. Energy Star rated, Green Seal certified, and a generous list of little things that add up to a massive shift in your overall experience.

Sometimes it's the tiniest things that make a grand difference. Like in-room recycling. Bicycles for guests to get around town. Composting of extra food. Ceramic instead of plastic with breakfast. Once you've experienced these things at the Q, you'll expect them everywhere you stay.

Even better - the guest experience wasn't compromised in any way. Our experience at the Q was equivalent to any stay at nice boutique hotels in many other cities.

Thanks to the entire staff at the Q for a most spectacular and inspiring experience in Kansas City! If you're visiting the hottest city in Missouri (or Kansas), we highly recommend a stay at the Q Hotel and Spa.

Labels: kansas city, q hotel

posted by darryl ohrt at 8:10 AM 1 Comments

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Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR to the cooler people) has sponsored a series of street artists across Kansas City. We noticed a piece or two during our first night in KC, and since have spied several installations across the city.

Each piece features the work of a couple of artists from around the globe, put together with a little bit of PBR branding. This is advertising that inspires, creates interest and supports art. Everyone wins.

Labels: branding, kansas city

posted by darryl ohrt at 7:59 AM 0 Comments

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Meet XPLANE. They make really difficult stuff simple. Like let's say that you own a worldwide chain of hotels and you plan on adding 60,000 rooms to your portfolio. That's a big project that requires detailed information that stakeholders at multiple management levels need to understand, act and respond to. That's a lot of management, communication, information, and education. XPLANE makes all of that easy.

Think you can handle all of that effectively in-house? Probably not as well as you'd like. Bringing in an outside team to communicate more effectively can result in better, more efficient and ultimately more successful projects.

We met the XPLANE crew in their St. Louis office, and got some great insight into how technology is changing their business, creating new possibilities and allowing them to do more than ever before. You can see their space and learn more in the Plaid Nation St. Louis wrapup video!

Follow XPLANE on Twitter, or give them a visit at XPLANE.com

Labels: st. louis

posted by darryl ohrt at 3:14 PM 0 Comments

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When we announced the addition of St. Louis to the PlaidNation tour route, we heard a lot of buzz about Shock City Studios. Twitter friend Marianne Richmond ensured us that we would not be disappointed.

Why profile a recording studio? You need to meet Doug and Chris to understand why. Two musicians with successful recording careers wanted to open a recording studio. Not unlike the dream of many musicians, right?

Here's where the story of Shock City Studios gets exciting. Doug and Chris didn't just take some skanky space and set up some recording gear. They bought what is essentially an entire block in St. Louis. They took over an abandoned ice factory and renovated the space into a state of the art studio. Mix Magazine calls it one of the coolest studios in the nation.

But the development story doesn't end there. With thousands and thousands of additional square feet in their building, they saw bigger potential. They've built out the space as wonderous new office and retail space. (A bakery was in the process of moving in during our visit.) And they're building homes. Super cool condos that take advantage of the unique architecture.

All of the space pays homage to its ice factory roots, while at the same time incorporating stunning new architectural highlights.

How did two musicians make it all happen? This is a massive project, with an over $10 million dollar development budget. Doug and Chris worked with the city, investors and various grant programs that are available in St. Louis. They brought a sense of energy and vibrancy to city planners who normally only get to work with "property development types." From the sounds of it, their enthusiasm about an exciting project helped them get the attention they deserved to push things through.

Doug and Chris are an outstanding example for other business people, and proof that sometimes doing something outside of your normal comfort zone can pay off big time. Even if it's something that you've never ever done before.

When it's complete, the Shock City Studios complex will house a variety of interesting businesses, residents and one of the hottest studios in the country while bringing a block of St. Louis architecture back to life. Not bad for a couple of slacker musicians.

Follow Shock City on Twitter, and visit Shock City Studios.com when it's time to record your new album.

Labels: architecture, st. louis

posted by darryl ohrt at 10:58 AM 0 Comments

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Make the Logo Bigger Bill is one of the all star bloggers filling in for me over on Brand Flakes for Breakfast, and he's also accompanied Plaid on previous tours. He's written an outstanding post that most perfectly summarizes what it's like to be on tour - so we're re-posting it here.

If you've ever wondered, just started watching or are thinking about a road trip yourself, here's how Bill describes it:

As guest blogger and Plaid Nation Touree, I thought I might add another perspective on the experience. (Be sure to check out the daily madness over on Plaid’s official tour blog.)

What started out three years ago as an alternative to the typical self-promotional efforts by agencies–holiday themed microsite or “We’ve Moved!” postcard—has grown into something bigger than even Darryl had originally planned.

In edition to regional sponsors the Q Hotel, there’s Ford, Sprint and Subway. Ad Age has a profile of it in their Small Agency Diary. In addition to the growth of Plaid’s client list, new industry connections have sprung up for almost everyone involved. Not too bad for a little POS van with wireless.

Speaking of, lest you think it’s all cupcakes and Graceland, the hours are long. It’s pretty much an 8:00 am to 10:00 pm gig: Load the van > drive > meeting > drive > food > drive > funky place > drive > meeting > drive > food > unload > check-in. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Every single day.

In between it all, you still need to keep in touch with your regular workflow. Then there are the “other” tour elements. If you’re not shooting pics, you’re on Twitter—in the backseat on less than perfect roads going 75 mph. Or you’re responding to an IM or DM to the van.

Then there’s the uploading, describing and tagging of said pics. Or watching what you say because the mics are live. Video? While Ryan handled it the first year, Renato’s on it now—along with his 65lb backpack that goes everywhere he does.

Tired yet? Good. Now, try digitizing video in the backseat on less than perfect roads going 75 mph. Then editing it.

By this point in the tour, you get into a daily rhythm though of all that has to be done. It’s NASA, well, more like NASCAR precision as everyone has an assigned job to handle.

You also do all of this in the hottest part of the summer. AC cranked? OH, you have no idea. That’s not even including the other dynamic that kicks in: Trying to remember what city you’re in. All of a sudden you channel Motley Crue: “This is Tennessee, right? No, dude, that was yesterday. We’re in Arkansas.”

“I think.”

And after going through that for two weeks straight however? You wouldn’t trade it for anything because it is the single best time you will ever have in your life working for an agency.

Labels: lifeontheroad

posted by darryl ohrt at 9:06 AM 2 Comments

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We pulled up the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a little unsure of what to expect. The drive to the speedway was packed with acres of Winnebego and tent cities of fans getting ready for the big race this weekend.

The racetrack itself is absolutely overwhelming. It's bigger than you ever imagined. Times ten. It's possible that it's as big as Manhattan. That may or may not be true - but even Wikipedia says that it's the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in the world.

Then we met Adrianne. And after about 3 minutes of chit chat, we realized he's one of us. We talked about open source, about the cloud, and about how internet everything is the future of the world. It was pretty awesome to meet a fellow internet geek amongst a city of asphalt, motor oil and cars.

The Indy Speedway gets it. They're using the internet in fun ways to give their fans loads of content wherever they want to view it. They've managed to produce events that draw over a million views for only a few thousand dollars. Think you might be able to learn from that kind of wisdom? We think so.

Adrianne gave us a PlaidNation VIP tour, got us out onto the track, in the media center, and to the hub where the race geeks produce internet goodness.

See more of what Adrianne has to say about the Speedway's internet awesomeness in the PlaidNation Indianapolis wrapup video!

Labels: indianapolis

posted by darryl ohrt at 7:39 AM 0 Comments

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Brad met Joe on the internet. This sounds like the beginning of some bromance dating site, but it's not. Brad met Joe after he left a comment on Brad's blog. They later met in person, and one thing lead to another, and now they're in business together. This is proof that your best future business partners may be one of your current Twitter friends.

And that's just the kind of team that you want working on your social media campaign. Brad and Joe make up BlueFuego, and they're helping some of the nation's top higher ed marketers connect with their students like never before.

They not only connected on the internet, they work in the cloud, too. With both partners on the road 90% of the time (judging from their tweet-streams, anyway) why should they have an office at all? They don't. They're an outstanding example of how you can now operate a business in the cloud. They're not just talking about it - they're doing it.

We've been internet friends with the BlueFuego boys for a while now, and finally got to meet them together, in person. (Especially ironic because @FJGaylor lives in the same state as Plaid.) Yep - sometimes the internet makes it easier to meet halfway across the country.

Who are you going to meet on the internet?

Meet Joe at Twitter.com/FJGaylor, and Brad at Twitter.com/BradJWard and the BlueFuego crew at their main site or on Facebook, and see them in the PlaidNation wrapup video for Indianapolis.

Labels: indianapolis

posted by darryl ohrt at 6:21 AM 0 Comments

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When we learned of the Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago, we knew that we had to visit.

Friends know of the Bleeding Heart as a punk rock bakery.

Call it marketing, call it good business or call it punk rock, but Bleeding Heart has differentiated themselves from nearly every other bakery in the nation. They're organic. Their concoctions are original and have personality. They ship cupcakes. (We've been to a lot of bakeries - and trust us - this is a feat.)

They've extended their brand to ancillary products too - kick ass t-shirts, punk rock tote bags and other things that people who are passionate about sugary goodness will likely enjoy.

They bleed personality. Add all of this up and you get a successful business that's not afraid to be who they are, and speak to a niche audience. Loudly.

We enjoyed meeting the Garcias and enjoyed the Smore's brownies and cupcakes even more.

Labels: branding, chicago, cupcakes, yummy food

posted by darryl ohrt at 9:00 AM 0 Comments

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If you wander down 1331 North Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago, you'll come across the Boring Store. From the outside, the sign reads Not a Secret Agent Supply Store. Walk inside and you'll see a retail space devoted to super fun spy supplies. But there's more going on at the Boring Store.

The Boring Store is actually a front. In the "back room" of the boring store there's a giant classroom and educational area. The Boring Store is a part of the 826 organization, and they offer a variety of creative writing, tutoring and creative educational programs for kids age 6 to 18. For FREE.

826Chi students get to publish their own books, get writing, photography and other creative education from professionals who are world renowned in their crafts.

We are inspired by this organization because they've taken an incredibly unique approach to marketing, fundraising and connecting with their community. Each of their locations features an equally creative storefront. The retail sales support the programs that take place in the classrooms, while offering a window to what's actually going on.

It's true. We shopped the Boring Store (and bought some FUN toys and gifts) while peeking in on a classroom of kids going through a super fun writing exercise. How many non-profits have you given to where you saw the results in front of your eyes??

Other non-profits can learn from the 826 organization and know that it's ok to be unique. Just because you're a non-profit doesn't mean that you have to be "boring." Sometimes it's ok to visit the back side of boring.

If you're not in Chicago, that's ok - you can visit one of the many other 826 locations across the nation. And if you're in Chi-town, know that there's something going on at that North Milwaukee store. Something more than boring.

(See more of the boring store and an interview with their top secret agent on the PlaidNation Chicago wrapup video.)

Labels: boring store, chicago, nonprofit

posted by darryl ohrt at 8:23 AM 0 Comments

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If you've heard of Threadless, then you're already jealous of our visit today. If you're just discovering the crowd-sourcing t-shirt/art/product company, then you'll love getting a glimpse of their Chicago headquarters.

We were inspired by their incredibly unique workspace. Like a company that came alive from dot com success, they have ping pong tables, open workspace and lots of toys in an open warehouse building.

Recently, Threadless took their interior space to the next level. Divided into work zones, they held a contest giving each department the opportunity to decorate their work area. We're not talking paper cutouts on cubicle walls. We're talking intensive makeovers and themed spaces.

Threadless workerbees turned their spaces into a Victorian mansion, a country lodge, a skate park and many other wonderous creative playlands.

The result? Threadless has a workspace that is indeed a playspace. A workspace that employees have invested in. A workspace that employees are stoked to come into each morning. And a workspace that generates pride, enjoyment and productivity. Everyone wins.

This took some letting go...the company couldn't dictate what the space would look like. No color schemes, no thematic control, no control at all. Could you do that with your company? Would you? Are you willing to give your employees control of the space they spend the majority of their waking time at? It could pay off big time.

(Watch the wrap up video for Chicago, and you'll see some of the Threadless space plus Marketing guru Bob Manna chat about what works for them on Facebook and elsewhere for the brand.)

Labels: chicago, threadless, workspace

posted by darryl ohrt at 7:06 AM 0 Comments

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There's an amazingly special place in the heart of Milwaukee that brings together artists, craftspeople, business people, coders, attorneys, students, actors and people with a desire to explore.

You might have heard about coworking, and there are coworking studios popping up in cities across the globe.

Bucketworks is kind of like that - but a whole lot more. If coworking is pancakes, then Bucketworks is pancakes with chocolate chips, Vermont syrup and bacon on the side. Served with an energy drink.

Bucketworks is what James Carlson calls a health club for the brain. But instead of a bunch of sweaty excercise equipment, they've got digital cameras, computer labs, performance space, meeting space, and table saws. It's a place where anyone with an idea or a dream or a desire to explore can come and make things happen.

There are startups that are running their firms from Bucketworks. And theater groups are staging productions. And artists, craftspeople, writers and more that are collaborating on all sorts of imaginative goodness.

They're tied into the education system, the social services system, the corporate community, and of course the creative community. So it's not just a place for freelancers to rent workspace (although that's fine), but a place for the Boys and Girls Club to produce a theater piece. It's an event space for BarCamp. It's a gallery for art shows. It's a continuing education hub. It's anything that the community needs it to be.

We arrived in Milwaukee at a unique time in Bucketworks history. Their current space was recently flooded, and they're in the process of looking for new space in Milwaukee. They invited us along to tour a couple of the buildings they're considering - with some of the people that participate in Bucketworks everyday. It was great to see where they came from, and then view some of the new space and visualize where they might be a year from now. We witnessed the group collaborating, ideating and sharing excitement and concerns about each of the spaces we viewed.

Here's what we took away from Bucketworks:
+ This is a concept that's needed in every major market in the nation
+ There are passionate people who want to collaborate in ways you haven't imagined. Even where you live
+ Thinking outside of the creative community and involving non-profits, corporate partners and students pulls together an even greater pool or resources to make magic happen
+ When you open your space to uses beyond typical coworking applications, you create an environment that's vibrant, always evolving and engaging in different ways dependent on the time of the day
+ There are creative ways to finance, realize and make this happen. Even in your city.

See some of the people and space of Bucketworks in the PlaidNation wrapup video for our Milwaukee tour stop, and the entire photo set on Flickr.

Labels: bucketworks, milwaukee

posted by darryl ohrt at 7:12 AM 1 Comments

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Our second stop on tour was at CurveDetroit. We've been Curve fans for a long time now, and this is a great example of social media bringing together two great agencies from different parts of the country.

We became reader's of each other's blogs (read Curve's here) a million years ago. And then Twitter brought us all together. We can safely call the team at Curve part of the Plaid family, thanks to following the every move of @charliecurve, @amycurve and @tomcurve.

What can you learn from Curve? They're setting examples for all of us in a few areas:

1. They don't just talk about being green. They live it. Their space is inspiring in the way that it's been designed. From floor to ceiling they've thought about their impact on the environment. There's one printer in the agency, and it's locked in an office where you need permission to get "launch" codes. (Not a lot of unnecessary paper pushing at Curve.) Oh yeah - and they're LEED certified too.

2. They subscribe to the open office philosophy. Very few walls. And no cubes. Lots of collaboration happening within the Curve space, but also with the neighboring companies that share their building. FMG and GreenWerks spaces are intertwined with Curve's space to create the ultimate imaginative dreamspace. (See the Detroit wrapup video for all the sweet shots.)

3. They care. They care about their community, about their environment and the world around them. Like many firms, they're giving back. Not just with dollars, but with blood, sweat and brains. Charlie was quick to show us the inspiring, real story of Detroit that left us speechless on the first night of our tour.

So if you're looking for an agency that's not just talking about it, but actually doing it, check out Curve. We'd like to think they're the 2nd greatest agency in all of the land. ;)

Labels: curve, detroit

posted by darryl ohrt at 11:53 AM 0 Comments

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The first day of PlaidNation could really not have been better. We kicked off the day at the Ford Test Track. For real. We were escorted through top secret areas with camouflaged cars and tented buildings where the future is being invented. We were assigned two race car drivers - Jerry and Dale. (We assume that to be a test driver for Ford, you also need to sport a race car driver-like name.) And then we were given exclusive access to one of the Ford test tracks to shoot unbelievable footage of the PlaidNation tour vehicle.

If that wasn't enough fun, we met some of Ford's communications team, including world famous @ScottMonty. We even ran into @CatchUpLady in the Ford cafeteria, shot some really fun photos of both of them, and did some cool video interviews.

The entire experience was as easy as pie. Chocolate Pie with whip cream on top. In our business, we shoot footage and photos at a lot of companies across all industries, all over the country. It's rare that things go this smoothly, or that all departments are seamlessly welcoming.

Everyone we met, everywhere we went, we were greeted with Ford awesomeness. Smiles, pride and a care for what they're doing. Not a single "we can't do that" or "this won't be possible." In fact it was nothing but "how can we make this great?"

That's inspiring, refreshing and energizing to see at a company of Ford's size. It's no wonder that they're coming out on top in Detroit - their people are clearly making a difference.

Thanks Ford, for a wonderful sendoff and the most luxurious PlaidNation tour vehicle ever!

Labels: detroit, flex, ford

posted by darryl ohrt at 4:34 PM 1 Comments

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Thanks to Charlie from Curve (Detroit's hottest agency) we were shown a side of Detroit that's not shared with tourists, business people or most other visitors to the city. He called us with our meeting plan: "Here's the address where we'll meet. Be prepared that this will appear to be a rough neighborhood. I don't want you to be surprised when you arrive."

Charlie was right. After driving through neighborhood after neighborhood of places where most would uneasily lock their doors, we arrived at Lahser Rd. Within minutes we spied a pretty awesome street sculpture. Charlie arrived about 60 seconds later.

Like the Mayor of Detroit, Charlie gave us a personal tour of the recently restored Redford Theater (beautious beyond belief), and what can only be described as a secret artist's village. We walked through a mechanic's garage that led into a series of spaces that have been given to the community. Artists Village, indeed.

Art studios, makeshift theater spaces, learning centers, gardens, courtyards and an endless sea of art, sculpture and inspiration. A collapsed building roof creates an opportunistic courtyard. Walls of blight are canvas. He told us about the history of Blight Busters, and pointed to several projects still in the works.

The neighborhood is inspiring to anyone. Artists, entrepreneurs, urban planners, architects and sociologists. If you live in Detroit and haven't seen this, we suggest a trip downtown. If you're visiting the motor city, call Charlie. We all left knowing that we had seen something very, very special.

Thanks, Charlie!

Labels: architecture, detroit, nonprofit

posted by darryl ohrt at 8:44 PM 0 Comments

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This is the third Plaid tour vehicle, and with every tour we learn a little more about creating the sweetest car graphics. We thought it would be cool to get the perspective from a guy with over 20 years in the business.

Meet Russ, a pro installer for Competition graphics, and the dude who made what @MattHunsberger designed for the Plaid Ford Flex look absolutely awesome on the install. Russ shares a couple of tips and insights for marketers considering their own vehicle graphics.

Thanks Russ, for making Plaid's Flex the hottest tour machine ever!

Labels: detroit, flex, ford, matt

posted by darryl ohrt at 9:45 AM 0 Comments

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Today we began the process of applying graphics to the Ford Flex. Designed by our own @matthunsberger, these are the sweetest Plaid vehicle graphics ever.

The process is slow and tedious, and requires a great deal of talent from the installation company. Most people just drop their car off and pick it up the next day, but we hung around to document the process. Hanging with our installer Russ was pretty cool, as it gave us an appreciation of the detail involved.

There were a couple of spots that didn't match up just perfectly, but Russ was able to piece together some Plaid magic so that you'll never know.

They completed the bulk of the graphics today, and tomorrow we'll install the rear, roof and finishing details. You can see the entire process (so far) on our PlaidNation Flickr page.

Tomorrow: graphics are completed, and cameras installed!

Labels: detroit, flex, ford

posted by darryl ohrt at 9:27 PM 0 Comments

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Sometimes the difference between brand awesomeness and brand ridiculousness are the simplest decisions.

While on tour, we're getting to experience both. When we hit Kansas City, we'll get to stay in the luxurious Q Hotel and Spa (a PlaidNation sponsor), who could teach many hoteliers a lesson in brand awesomeness. And we're counting down the days until the Q.

But until then...we're learning brand and customer experience lessons the hard way:

On some random day somewhere, some person with Soooper 8 made a decision. Was it to spend fifty cents more and supply guests with towels that aren't made from sandpaper? Nope. Was it to put a respectable sign on the elevator? Nope.

This decision involved the experience that a guest might have in the bathroom. Not soaps. Not shampoo or other niceties. Somebody said "we can add your logo to this $2 faucet, if you want", and then a Soooper 8 employee replied "absolutely."

Here's proof that branding is more than your old logo on crappy equipment. It's little decisions that affect your customer's experience every day. Thanks, Soooper 8, but I really would have preferred the non-sandpaper bath towel.

Labels: branding, q hotel, super 8

posted by darryl ohrt at 8:14 AM 2 Comments

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What a fantastic first day for the pre-tour prep squad. Yesterday Scott Monty, the best dressed man in social media and general rock star at Ford Motors handed us the keys to the sweetest Ford Flex that you've ever seen.

Surprisingly, getting the keys didn't require wrestling Scott Monty to the ground. He just handed over the keys to a bunch of renegade creatives who will transform this car into a rolling social media machine.

Our Ford Flex a pre-production model - which Ford manufactures especially for press reviews and media coverage before the model is released to the public. Our model is a six passenger rolling luxury machine.

Comfy leather seats will greet the Plaid tour crew, with a Sony sound system that kicks ass, built in GPS, iPod/iPhone integration, Sync technology (you tell the car what you want it to do and it listens), a REAL outlet (that will power some of the laptops, cameras and gear), LED lighting and so much more. Oh...and there's a FRIDGE on board. For real.

Over the next few days, this Flex will be transformed into social media awesomeness. We'll have it wrapped in sweet graphics. Install webcams. And Plaid air fresheners. And power it up with five laptops, five creatives and then we'll hit the road to New Orleans.

Thanks, Scott!

Labels: flex, ford

posted by darryl ohrt at 7:50 AM 0 Comments

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Subway joined the ranks of the four most awesome brands in the world yesterday, by signing on as an official sponsor of the PlaidNation tour. Subway joins Ford Motors, Sprint, and The Q Hotel in awesomeness.

Subway wants the Plaid tour crew to eat fresh while on the road (which will be a lot easier now), and we'll be sharing some Subway love with friends of the tour too. Stay tuned for plenty of fresh eating opportunities.

Thanks, Subway!

Labels: sponsors, subway

posted by darryl ohrt at 6:50 AM 0 Comments

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PlaidNation is featured on The Ford Story, as one of the In the Spotlight stories!

The Ford Story is one of Ford's most awesome sites (even more awesome now), and serves as sort of a hub that shares the hot stories and conversations all about Ford, their products, their technologies and history. And now they're showing their Plaid love.

We're sure that before the tour is complete, we'll be featured on the front page of every Ford site, quoted by the CEO, and have a car designed after us. But perhaps we're getting just a step ahead of ourselves...in the meantime, send the link to everyone you know and tell your friends that Plaid says Ford is HOT.

Labels: flex, ford

posted by darryl ohrt at 7:01 PM 1 Comments

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Meet Ryan. This will be Ryan's third year on PlaidNation, so he's a veteran.

Have you seen the new Dos Equis spots? That dude is a boring old coot compared to Ryan. Hang with Ryan for a night, and you'll certainly end up in an adventure. Or on the news. Or in an incredibly awkward situation that you'll laugh at later. Ryan has more entertaining life stories than the most interesting person you ever met. We believe he's a book, a film and a television show, waiting to happen.

While on tour, Ryan will be our primary driver. He's held this role before, and believe it or not, we're totally comfortable with that. We swear that he's the ultimate, safe, conservative driver. And yes, we've seen his videos.

He's a pop culture expert, a digital DJ, near expert snowboarder, and social media juggernaut. If that wasn't enough, he's a designer, too.

Oh yeah - Ryan is looking for a job. He's been a professional intern, part-timer and producer for Plaid on multiple occasions. Now he's got a degree, and looking to go pro. If you could put Ryan to work and you're in NYC or the vicinity, give us a shout and we'll get you connected. He says he'd also consider positions in Tahiti. (And yeah, with Ryan's luck, that will happen.)

Follow Ryan on Twitter

Labels: crew, ryan

posted by darryl ohrt at 10:18 AM 0 Comments

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You can now buy the PlaidNation '09 Theme Song on iTunes!

The soundtrack was produced just for Plaid by Pop Heroes, the absolute most awesome band ever to grace the iTunes library of music.

You'll hear this song used as the backdrop to the show-intro for each of the daily wrapup videos that we produce. There will be a new video every day - which will also feature soundtracks by several Sony Music artists (thanks, Sony!!)

Safe to say that you'll be turned onto some of the best music ever just by watching the tour. Thank us later.

Labels: music, video

posted by darryl ohrt at 8:26 PM 0 Comments

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Meet Chris. Chris joins PlaidNation on week two, and will be along for the ride as we hit Kansas City, Branson, Memphis, Jackson and New Orleans.

Are you constantly telling your friends that the PlaidNation tour dashboard has changed your life, and you just can't stand to ever stop watching?? Chris designed it! This is not an easy feat - he's managed to please the most difficult client of all - an agency full of creatives who normally have a thing or two to say about interactive design.

Chris is one of the award-winning designers on the Plaid team, and part of the hottest design team in the U.S. He's also a runner, (and a musician) and planning for his first ever half marathon sometime later in the year. (He might think twice about this, after the carbo-loading road diet that comes with the tour.)

Follow Chris on Twitter

Labels: chris, crew

posted by darryl ohrt at 7:06 AM 1 Comments