American Advertising Federation (Addy) Awards - Charleston, West Virginia

After a 16 years of business, one of the craziest winters, a chemical spill, a water crisis, and a recent article listing Charleston as one of the most miserable cities in America...I am ready to share some good news!

Blackwell and Co. received one of it's highest honors. I am pleased and grateful to have won so many awards over the years with many talented people, but it is a great privilege to announce our latest accolade of "Best of Show" at this years Addy Awards (not to mention 3 other Gold Awards). I am so proud of our team (Mike Fry, Lindsey Holloway, and Melissa Doty)—and very thankful for the Troy Law Firm who trusted us to develop their new brand identity.

Random Thanks

With a lifetime of thankfulness, I thought I would try to list all the pastors, ministry leaders, youth leaders and missionaries that I have been exposed to over the years: Danny Light, Mrs. Wooten, Mrs. Bryant, Arnold Lovell, Marilyn and Hedge (Hedgepeth), Bill and Zeta Lamberson, Tom & Sharon Titus, Bill & Becky Kimmons, Gene & Carol Anderson, Rick & Laura Hayes, Mills Peebles, Grace Cameron, Roy Roach, Shawn Thornton, Lee Walker, Jesse Wagoner, Jim McQuerey, Dave Jones, Donavon Roberson, John Haskell, Bill Tanzey, Richard Thompson, Stephen Neil, Caleb Korth, Kurt and Morgan Brewer, and Eric Mounts. All these guys are from 4 different churches over the past 43 years. (First Baptist Church of South Charleston, First Presbyterian Church of South Charleston, Loudendale Freewill Baptist, and Bible Center Church in Charleston.) Peace. & Thanks!

eChurch

Pretty cool! I have listened to live church over my phone a couple times this summer. It doesn't compare to the real thing, but its a good plan B. Www.biblecenterchurch.com

Facebook: Status Update (Face-to-face)

Is Facebook good for us? We are so connected. Are we connected because we are so interested in others, or are we interested in how we might position ourselves among others? Are we looking to listen, read, and see, or be heard, be published, and be seen? I'm not saying it's bad or wrong, I'm just posing the question.

I once said, I would never use a computer to apply my God-given (creative) talents. I was a staunch advocate of graphite, conte crayons, Rapidio-graph pens, the straight edge and the french-curve. I don't think I could have ever been more wrong. What a great tool the personal computer has been!

I just wanted to throw that out there before someone throws me a bunch of statistics about how great Facebook is. I know, I know, I know. I am not saying its wrong, I am just saying I have some concerns. I remember when everyone started building decks on the back of their homes, and people stopped interacting with neighbors. Now, I don't even think we use those decks, because we are too busy working to pay for them and the big houses they are connected to.

I'm going to stay on FB, but I hope that I can push for a little more face-to-face. (If Facebook starts going south I have a great idea that I will share for free..."Facebook for Lawyers".) If you really stop and think about Facebook from your perspective—it's a lot about you. What you do, what you think, what you want, where you are, where you went, where your going, and what you got. If you go back to my earlier days on FB and look at my entries, I was all in! Constantly pitching my worldly travels and accolades, and cool happenings. "Look at me!"

Well, I'm hear to tell you. I'm not that interesting or important. I run the swiffer, I am always late putting a new filter in the AC, the guys at my office probably wonder what I do—I am just a regular old guy, probably a lot like you. I wish I was more important, but it is what it is. Picking up poop in the yard, mowing the grass, going to work. I like this stuff! I enjoy everyday to the max! I love my wife and kids, my family, my friends, my church, and my job.

I think I'm going to spend a couple months sharing that stuff with you in person. I hope that I will spend a little more time chatting with my kids, on dates with my wife and having a cup of coffee with a friend or neighbor. And if I lose a few pounds or do P90X, climb Mount Everest or go to the Carribean to hear Dave Matthews live in concert...I will spare you the pain. I know how it is. I know how you are...just like me. 'Probably sitting in your cubical, eating a bag of chips, thinking about losing weight and listening to Pandora—all the while thinking of something marvelous to post on FB.

I am out for a while. I don't want anymore "likes"! Just call me for a beer or Indian food! I like coffee, politics, religion, design, travel and fly-fishing. I'm a believer, a husband, a dad, a son, an employer, and a friend. Give me a shout! I'm not going to broadcast my "status"—I'd just like to connect. If we haven't connected in a while, I hope you will give me a call, invite me for coffee, or just stop in.

Peace. & Thanks!

Kiss Your Wife

Just kiss your wife.

Random Thoughts: Halloween, Jesus and Bin Laden

I recently heard my youngest child won't be enjoying any sweets at this year's (elementary school) Halloween party. Candy and sweets are banned, and replaced by cheese and crackers. I am ashamed to mention that we actually have pumpkins on display at our house, and that one day soon, we will be carving them. I hope we can get one more year in before someone decides to take a stand for the rights of pumpkins.

And never mind about Jesus. All the Christmas trees in public schools are long gone. Thank goodness for Walmart and Target, who took a stand last Christmas to allow their employees to tell customers "Merry Christmas"—after a backlash from patrons during the previous year. I am guessing the corporate motivation was not connected to any financial gain... Nah! I am sure finances had nothing to do with it (wink-wink).

Last but not least...Osama Bin Laden. If I were a betting man, I would say he is dead. It's my blog so I will say it—I think he is dead! Man, in general is vain. He would be writing op eds and taping interviews for CNN or doing tweets from the green room on the View if he were alive. Plus, if our government wanted to snatch somebody, they could do it. There is something else going on here, and the cynical part in me is guessing that a few dollars are being spent to perpetuate this hunt.

(I was just watching a special about Bin Laden on the History Channel, so I thought I would bring him into this post.)

Peace. & Thanks!

A Day at Crispin, Porter + Bogusky

Have you ever heard of a little hamburger chain called "Burger King"? I had the opportunity this week to meet with Andrew Keller, the Creative Director at Crispin, Porter + Bogusky—the firm that currently handles the creative for Burger King. They are also known for their work with Volkswagen, BMW Mini, and Microsoft Windows.

I was pretty blown away by their huge facility that exuded creativity and employee perks. They had a concierge on staff, as well as an "extreme concierge" where you could take out a couple dirt bikes and go ride the trails before your a.m. meeting. Have a flat tire or need a repair—just drop it off, and it will be ready for you when you leave. It seemed like the Disneyland of creative agencies. The motif was very raw-industrial, and the place was swarming with ideas. Ideas where stuck everywhere! People where everywhere—the place was packed with over 500 creative employees. It was a cross between a rich-kids tree house, and a super-sized college dorm room. (I say this in a favorable manner.)

Lots of young people, mountain bikes all over the place, girls walking by with their dogs, and people meeting in small groups with laptops and whiteboards. As I sat down in Andrew's office he pressed a button and two translucent garage doors silently closed behind me. It was pretty cool. As my eleven year old son would say, it was "sick nasty"! Out of all the cool and creative things I was exposed to, the coolest thing was that a total stranger, at the top of his game would spare an hour or so out of his busy schedule to talk a little shop with me. I believe Andrew had just gotten back from Paris the morning of my visit and was headed to New York later that day.

I have often been somewhat cynical on this blog, but today it feels right to just be thankful. It was a great experience, and I am truly thankful for my friends (and neighbors) Bryant and Carol Spann, who made the connection—and for Andrew Keller who shared his time.

Be good to someone today.

Peace. & Thanks!
Steve