2. The Marcus Graham Project > Brand Bootcamp
Background:
The American Advertising industry has been asking a question lately, partially in fear
of a looming class-action lawsuit regarding the lack of diversity amongst general
market ad agencies on New York’s Madison Ave: “Where are all of the diverse
talent?” In response to this issue, The Marcus Graham Project has created a
bootcamp, to launch Summer 2009, teaching transferable skills to potential and
future advertising professionals.
This idea was posed in a blog written by Tiffany Warren, Chief Diversity Officer of
Omnicom:
An excerpt from Ms. Warren’s blog is as follows: “One idea proposed is the
creation of an industry sponsored advertising quot;boot camp.quot; Such a camp could
assist those agencies who need to diversify, but are worried about lack of
advertising experience in potential candidates. This would also help professionals
yearning to be free from other sectors hit the ground running when they enter ours.”
(Source: Ad Age Blog “The Big Tent”)
The goal of this bootcamp is to do just as Ms. Warren suggested, identify
opportunities in the industry and those interested in pursuing them.
Objective: The field’s primary purpose is to provide diverse aspirants in the field of
advertising & marketing with the exposure and experience necessary to solidify
careers within the industry. Think, “The Apprentice meets a modern day Putney
Swope in his attempt to revolutionize an industry of MadMen”
Synopsis: A group of young men get a glimpse into what it really looks like
working in an industry of persuasion through words and images, as they attempt to
create advertising campaigns for some of America’s top brands. They will enter
an advertising bootcamp in which they will push their creativity to the limits and see
if they have what it takes to become the next team of brand producers.
Throughout their trek, the experience of creating a 360-degree marketing campaign
from the ground up will be filmed and turned into webisodes used as instructional
videos for high-school and college training programs and awareness campaign.
2009 Bootcamp Topic: “Green is the New Black”
The team will be challenged to create a strategic marketing campaign highlighting
the importance of sustainable living to the cross cultural urban (18-34) audience
and the impact of their energy consciousness in other countries (particularly African
nations) The campaign will be created for the bootcamp’s main client, Broccoli
City, an organic urban lifestyle company.
3.
The Team (To be announced May 15)
• Graphic Designer
• Copywriter
• Video Editor
• Videographer
• Account Executive / Producer
• Account Executive / Producer
• Account Planner/Researcher
• Media/PR
• Project Manager
Host/Sponsoring Agencies & Mentors
• The Design Factory
• Culture Lab
• The MasterMind Group
• En Vivo (To be determined)
• M Strategies (To be determined)
• Agency 29 (To be determined)
• The Akita Group
• ROM 122
Potential Schedule (subject to change)
The bootcamp will last for approximately 11 weeks beginning on June
8 th and concluding on August 15 th . Bootcampers will meet with
sponsoring agencies each Tuesday evening with sponsoring agencies
for a mentoring session and check in on progress. During this time,
bootcamp members will have the opportunity to ask questions, share
ideas & get feedback on progress.
June 15 – 26
• Orientation Activities
o Daily Lunch & Learns, Tours & Immersion Sessions at
various companies including ad agencies, media
companies, production studios including:
TracyLocke (Shopper Marketing)
The Marketing Arm
Agora Entertainment
Moroch
WFAA/Dallas Morning News
Reach Media
TPN
Imaginuity
Sanders Wingo (Field Trip to Austin)
Plus various agencies via Skype or teleconference
4.
June 29 & 30
• Assignment Session
o Two Day Topical Combine in Green Living, Sustainability &
Community Development
Green Dallas
Trinity River Project
Project Green WFAA/Chevy/DART
Newflower Market & Nutritionist – or- Central Market
Habitat for Humanity
Current Energy
o The assignment: Develop a 360 marketing campaign
encouraging the young urban audience to live a more
“sustainable” life including:
Community Development & Redevelopment
Health & Fitness
Energy Efficiency & Sustainability
o Target Audience: Young Urban Audience (16-34)
o The Deliverable(s):
Events
Viral Videos
Web Banner Ads
Print Ads
Radio PSA
TV PSA
July 1 – 5
‐ Cultural immersion field trip
o New Orleans, Louisiana
Essence Festival Weekend
Tour topic, study of communities that have been
rebuilt thru grassroots organizing
July 7 - August 7
‐ Campaign Development
o Research
o Ideation
o White Paper/Concept Development
o Testing
August 11 th
‐ Final Presentation of concept to client group
‐ Location: Trinity Trust
‐ After-Party: The Apartment
‐ Sponsored by partners of the bootcamp
5.
Sample Webisode Treatment:
Episode One – Meet Mr. Graham
Showcase young men who have an interest in breaking into the advertising
industry. The video will follow several young men who have transferable skills, but
have not worked in a major advertising agency
Episode Two – Each One; Teach One
• The team of rogue professionals has been tasked with creating a fully
integrated digital campaign promoting green living to the Urban audience in
the D/FW Metroplex, as an assignment from a client. The team has been
asked to integrate as much social media into the campaign as possible and
has certain criteria that they must present. With digital content being king in
this advertising economy, the focus of their projects will be around creating
several TV and Radio programs for local Dallas celebrities and influencers.
They will concept, develop, shoot and market this new series of
programming for release in the Fall 2009 time frame and beyond.
• The team will interact with various agencies across the nation, meeting with
industry professionals to learn the process and key pieces of success by
industry professionals.
Episode Three – Get it Poppin!
• After their “training” sessions with various industry hall of famers and experts
across the nation, the men get settled into their live work space, a high rise
penthouse in the city of Dallas, where they will begin going through the
process of creating their campaign.
• The team will be asked to divide themselves into sections, each having a
very specific responsibility
Episode Four – Welcome to Texas
• The group will be introduced to the state of Texas and meet various movers
and shakers in the city to get a real sense of the culture and the history of
Dallas. The men have been asked to create a series of events where they
can conduct research on what makes the city tick, culturally as well as
finding out specific information on the target demo’s knowledge of
sustainability in their own homes & community.
Episode Five – The Brain Storm
• The men must now take their insights and start brainstorming on campaign
ideas and must present their ideas and concepts to the client, where they
will likely have to make revisions and corrections, hopefully not having to go
back to the drawing board
• The time is ticking and so is the client’s budget
Episode Six – Lights! Camera! Action!
• After their creative is finally approved, the men go thru the entire creative
production process inclusive of talent casting, celebrity negotiation,
6. scheduling, photo shoots and laying the creative into the campaign look and
feel
Episode Seven – The Plane boss, the plane!
• Now that the campaign has been created, it must be launched! The team
scrambles to plan an event for the client where the campaign will be
launched.
• The event has some mandatories, that make the success of pulling this
event together, even more demanding: Celebrities, Logistics
• The men will have to create a seamless experience for an event that will be
inclusive of highbrow guests, clients and friends.
Episode 8 – The finale
Shown live during Advertising Week in New York City, the team’s campaign will be
broadcast live at a charity fundraiser celebrating the. launch of the campaign.
the marcus graham project
7.
Sponsorship / Partnership Opportunities
We are currently seeking in kind donations and fiscal sponsorship for
the bootcamp and show:
‐ Computers ‐ Digital Technology
‐ Energy Drink, Water ‐ Wardrobe
‐ Hospitality ‐ Transportation
‐ Automobile ‐ Living Space for up to 12
In kind product donation & sponsorship will be reciprocated with integration within
the programming and potential for creation of a specific campaign developed by
the team. Campaign development can include:
• Digital TV Commercial
• Web Banner Advertising
• Web Mini-Series
• Sponsorship mention within all press and marketing material
the marcus graham project
8.
About Us
Founded in July 2007, The Marcus Graham Project (MGP) is a network with the
intent strategically focused on building the next generation of diverse male
leadership in the advertising, media, marketing and entertainment industry through
mentorship, training and career development. MGP is supported by a collective of
non-profit initiatives as fiscal partners & supporters of the program.
Core Values
Integrity Forward Thinking
‐ ‐
Leadership Responsibility
‐ ‐
Professionalism Selflessness
‐ ‐
Founder
Lincoln C. Stephens
Founding Advisory Committee
Malcolm Gillian, VP Music & Entertainment at Momentum World Wide
•
Dr. Jason Chambers, Author of Madison Ave and The Color Line;
•
Advertising Professor at The University of Illinois
Courtney Hill, President of Market M
•
Jeremy Hodges, President of Entity Global (An Omnicom/GMR Marketing
•
Agency)
Aubrey Walker, Associate Creative Director at Carol H Williams Advertising
•
Jamil Buie, Freelance Marketing Professional
•
Rudy Duthill, Director of Zoom Media
•
LH Whelchel, Chief Talent Officer, Y&R
•
John Casmon, Advertising Manager at General Motors (Pontiac)
•
Richard Harvey, Associate Media Director at Carol H Williams Advertising
•
Chris Surrey, Founder of Paintbox Laboratories & Project54 Tour / Diversity
•
in Media
Kenji Summers, Millennial Evangelist & Jr. Media Planner at Media Edge
•
Brandon Byrd, InterACT Associate
•
the marcus graham project
