They’re not on Madison Avenue yet, but our batch of fall 2010 interns is on their way to becoming industry bigwigs in the next few decades. The nine of them teamed up on their first group assignment to produce a themed piece introducing each of themselves, their background and the department they’ll be working in for next few months. They chose a decidedly old-school theme inspired by AMC’s award-winning series Mad Men, which profiles the glory days of advertising back in the ‘60s.

1. Creative department account executives
Bellfesta • Northander • Classwhitt • Cekhan • Reis
The nine GDC interns of fall 2010 hopped into the DeLorean, flashed back
50 years and created an ad agency – Mad Men style. Surprisingly, we’ve
adapted quite well to this era. Our group is unlike the employees at Sterling
Cooper Draper Pryce in that women are the majority. But when 5 o’clock rolls
around – sometimes a bit earlier – we still break out the highball glasses and
Zippos. A full bar replaces the kitchen, and that meditation room? It’s more of a
smoking lounge. Bellfesta Northander Classwhitt Cekhan Reis inspires change
too, but the source of our inspiration is a little bit different. Take a minute to
learn the methods to our madness…

2. Name:
JESSICA ANDERMATT
Hometown:
CASTROVILLE, TX
College:
TEXAS A&M
Degree:
BA ENGLISH
Intern Position:
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Hobby:
TRAVEL
COLOR:
GREEN/ORANGE
Drink of choice:
Jessica is gregarious and laid back, well-suited to Screwdriver
generating publicity and maintaining our image.
She’s biding her time until she can bring her vast
communications skills to Europe. This Aggie
diligently punches out press releases and scours
newspapers for coverage of our clients, but she’s
not afraid to throw back a screwdriver or two to
ease office tension.

3. Name:
CAROLINE BELL
Hometown:
HOUSTON, TX
College:
TRINITY UNIVERSITY
Major:
INT’L BUSINESS/spanish
Intern Position:
ACCOUNT SERVICES
Hobby:
FLY FISHING
COLOR:
GOLD/ORANGE
Drink of choice:
Caroline’s bubbly persona can make anyone White Russian
feel at ease. This is an invaluable skill as
the mediator between agency and client in
account services. Her mastery of the art
of persuasion — with the help of a round
of White Russians — can smooth clients’
worries and seal the deal to an innovative
campaign, leaving all parties feeling good.

4. Name:
monica ceja
Hometown:
AMARILLO, TX
College:
utsa
major:
communications
Intern Position:
digital
Hobby:
SORORITY & SPORTS
COLOR:
GOLD/GREEN
Drink of choice:
Monica, the mistress of new media, can usually Harpoon
be found filling a spreadsheet with data on
consumers. Like many ’60s women, this sports
fan is making her way in areas traditionally
dominated by men. She’s also on the cutting
edge of technology, which gives us an edge in
this business. A Red Bull and a protein bar are
all this outspoken leader needs for inspiration.

5. Name:
kristen classen
Hometown:
SAN ANTONIO, TX
College:
TRINITY UNIVERSITY
major:
BUSINESS ADMIN/MKTG
Intern Position:
RESEARCH
Hobby:
ARTS & CRAFTS
COLOR:
GOLD
Drink of choice:
Intuitive Kristen knows how to read White Russian
people, and she’s got the education and
background to prove it. A marketing
major with a double shot of anthropology
and studio art mixed in, she’s adept
at studying the culture of a particular
demographic to learn how to reach the
agency’s target audience.

6. Name:
ANDREW FESTA
Hometown:
GREENVILLE, SC
College:
UNIV. OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Degree:
BA PRINT JOURNALISM
Intern Position:
COPYWRITER
Hobby:
FANTASY SPORTS
COLOR:
GOLD
Drink of choice:
Andrew takes words and ideas and Old Fashioned
shakes them and stirs them until he
finds the perfect concoction to tempt
the masses. His intoxicating blend of
communications skills and creative drive
makes him an ideal copywriter. Give him
a brand and a little while to brainstorm
and he’ll produce top-shelf copy.

7. Name:
ALEX khan
Hometown:
AUSTIN, TX
College:
Trinity UNIVERSITY
major:
marketing & FINANCE
Intern Position:
WEB DEVELOPER
Hobby:
FRATERNITY
COLOR:
GREEN
Drink of choice:
An idea may be on the rocks, but Alex ensures Vodka Gimlet
it’ll be smooth going down. He’s a new media
ace, gifted at crafting new and flashy ways to
get brands noticed. We can’t help but think
his skills are better suited for the future. If
only there were some sort of global network of
computers with which he could use to connect
with consumers. Oh well.

8. Name:
Jessica Northey
Hometown:
Atlanta, GA
College:
IADT
major:
Advertising Design
Intern Position:
Creative
Hobby:
LEISURE TRAVEL
COLOR:
ORANGE
Drink of choice:
Jessica diligently brainstorms to uncover Moscow Mule
the perfect image, then she puts pencil
to paper until it really pops. Her design
sense is fresh, just like her favorite drink,
the Moscow Mule. Even though she can
be bit soft-spoken at times, her ideas are
always the life of the party. She’s more
about doing than talking.

9. Name:
Carl reis
Hometown:
san antonio, tx
College:
utsa
major:
marketing
Intern Position:
new business
Hobby:
music
COLOR:
GOLD
Drink of choice:
Carl lights the match and brings it to Whiskey Sour
end of the client’s cigarette. He delivers
the pitch, works through the haze,
and by the time the fire hits the filter,
the client is hooked. His unparalleled
organizational skills and precise
presentations keep companies coming
back to our agency for puff after puff.

10. Name:
vanessa whitt
Hometown:
cebu city, Philippines
College:
abilene Christian university
Degree:
BFA graphic design
Intern Position:
creative
Hobby:
scrapbooking
COLOR:
GOLD/BLUE
Drink of choice:
Vanessa gives life to our ideas with her Blue Hawaiian
extensive talent as an illustrator. She brings
open-mindedness and flexibility to the creative
process. Her decisiveness and self-assurance
show she’s a strong woman, not a shrinking
violet of the Mad Men Era. At the end of
a long day, she’s known to dive into a Blue
Hawaiian to cool down.

11. Whatever decade we’re in, expect a creative
pitch and conscientious service from our
agency. And we’ll probably be more PC than
the characters of Mad Men, too. Your glass will
always be half-full with Bellfesta Northander
Classwhitt Cekhan Rice.