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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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This year's Plaid tour will be bigger and better than ever before. Starting with the Plaid ride. Thanks to the Ford Motor Company, we'll be riding in a sweet Ford Flex from Detroit to New Orleans!

Ford Motors has agreed to become the official vehicle sponsor for the PlaidNation tour. That means comfy seating. Ford Sync technology. Built in GPS. And countless other luxuries that the Plaid crew don't typically deserve.

While in Austin attending the SXSW Conference, Ford's own Scott Monty took Dave and Darryl on a nice test drive, while previewing some of the car's awesome features. We're already dreaming up super hot vehicle graphics, and thinking this will be the most Awesome Plaid ride, ever.

Labels: detroit, ford, tour route

posted by darryl ohrt at 6:50 PM 0 Comments