BOO! It’s BIGEYE’s spooky Halloween facts infographic!
Here are the best seven portfolio tips from a recent graduate
Well, this is it – the biggest, most pivotal project of your life, right? Not exactly. A portfolio is essential to the career of any graphic designer regardless of their skill set in various disciplines. The best way to think of this designer cornerstone is as a resume, skill sheet, and work example all rolled into one. It’s the most direct way for a potential employer, creative or not, to identity if you have the capabilities necessary to fulfill the job title. While a portfolio isn’t the end all be all, it can be the difference between landing a job – or designing more cat posters for your aunt’s tearoom. By using these 7 tips, you can set yourself on a path to design the portfolio of your- and your future employer’s – dreams: TIP 1: PLANNING Organizing your workflow, priorities, and process when creating your portfolio is essential to the overall success of your work. The order, style, elements, and media are all important to consider before starting the design process. TIP 2: DIVERSIFY Having a wide spread of projects, with varying applications and components, will help show your potential employer that you have a diverse set of skills that could be used in a large variety of projects. In addition to planning out your portfolio projects, you should also try to share your work using other channels, such as: Dribbble, Behance, AIGA, LinkedIn, or even a personal website. Diversifying where your work can be seen can be a great way to get noticed and hired! TIP 3: DESIGN DON’T DOCUMENT If you are creating a portfolio of past work, there needs to be a good balance of what you show: process, parts, and end product. However, it is important that you design your projects to impress your reader – not just let them know that you’re capable of making a brochure or website. Design a project to make your reader excited and astounded, not just to check off a box in their head. Milton Glaser puts it best, “There are three responses to a piece of design: yes, no, and wow. Wow is the one to aim for.” TIP 4: PHOTOGRAPHY As crazy as it sounds, photography is possibly one of the most important components of a successful portfolio because it is so superficial. Whether you are using PSD mockups or taking photos of your work, they need to look flawless and professional – the reason being that most people won’t read your portfolio, they will look at the pictures and draw their own conclusions. As designers, we put so much thought into our work; so at the very least, we need to visually show our commitment to the reader through the use of quality photography. Check out Creative Market for some great mockups. TIP 5: LESS IS MORE I’m a firm believer in less is more design and I think it is one of the most important parts of a portfolio, in digital or print. You should craft your portfolio to account for people’s low attention spans; ideally, they shouldn’t need to read a paragraph to understand what your project was about. TIP 6: DESIGN FOR THE USER Design your portfolio for the job you are interested in. If you want to be a web designer and are going in for an interview, you probably don’t need to show 5 projects of packaging you’ve made. A helpful tip is to set your print portfolio up without page numbers and with adhesive hingestips – this will allow you to reorganize your portfolio into the best order for the job you are applying for, perhaps web projects first, then advertising projects, then print. Another tip may be to bring your portfolio on an ipad as a PDF or upload it to ISSUU.com or even bring in some mockups of projects you’ve made. TIP 7: STAND OUT! I can’t say this enough: stand out from the crowd. Obviously you are different from other designers, you have your own style, skills, and strengths but you really need to show it in your portfolio. Wild, unique projects, innovative packaging, or something just plain funny can really separate you from the crowd and land you in the job you’re looking for. I hope these tips will help direct you in making a great portfolio and eventually help you into that dream job! Some additional sources that have been a great help to me are “Design Career” by Steven Heller & Lita Talarico, “Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming” by Ellen Lupton, and “Things I have learned in my life so far” by Stefan Sagmeister. Check out BIGEYE‘s “portfolio” showcasing some of our proudest case studies. Happy scrolling!
The breakfast club remastered for a new generation
No matter how young – or young at heart – we aim to be, it goes without saying that The Breakfast Club was one of John Hughes’ prolific ’80’s masterpieces, replete with the perfect dose of oh, so relatable teen angst. Beloved Hughes, the late film director, producer, and screenwriter was the mastermind behind some of our favorites here at BIGEYE – including National Lampoon’s Vacation, Weird Science, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Uncle Buck, Home Alone…clearly, the list of American treasures is without end. Since 2015 marks the 30th anniversary of The Breakfast Club, we decided it was only fitting that we take a cinema classic, and totally and completely remaster it – at least from a graphic design standpoint – retooling the time-honored movie poster for a new era. We know you can’t mess with perfection, but upon further analysis of each student’s lunch, you have to admit that all of those high school stereotypes we recall from decades’ past were perfectly exemplified. Our team of creatives took the liberty of really analyzing the composition of the individual menus, including illustrations that were critically important in the development of each character. We’re pretty sure we’ve got ’em all covered, with a few modifications to welcome a long-admired classic into the 21st century – with a unique twist: The close of the flick is summed up quite masterfully as the five students extol a collaborative essay to Shermer High School’s disciplinary principal, Mr. Vernon, with a simple quote, “You see us as you want to see us—in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain…and an athlete…and a basket case…a princess…and a criminal. Does that answer your question?” It’s pretty plain to see why the movie is just as relatable today as it was back in 1985, and we’re certain that Hughes will undoubtedly continue to make audiences laugh together for generations to come. …and hey, we’ll happily see you in the library for Saturday detention, belting “Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds…with a mouthful of our Pixy Stix-Cap’n Crunch sandwich. To get more of our creative genius, click here.
BIGEYE continues agency growth, adds new Account Manager
Orlando, Florida – August 10, 2015 – BIGEYE, a fully integrated advertising agency based in Orlando, Florida announced today that the firm continues to chart its path for growth by welcoming Account Manager Brittany Yoder to the team. With an ever-growing portfolio of clients, and project scopes of varying disciplines, BIGEYE has furthered the agency’s commitment to provide highly customized, strategic service to its expanding clientele. Seasoned in account and project management, Yoder has fulfilled a variety of roles ranging from corporate event planner to eCommence user experience / merchandising coordinator, digital project manager and most recently, account lead at Orlando-based agency Purple, Rock, Scissors. She possesses a deeply-rooted passion for building and maintaining relationships with clients, collaborating with peers to incorporate each others’ unique talents, and managing project details through consistent communication and thorough documentation. Her expansive project portfolio includes such clients as Greenheck Fan Corporation, Tervis, Joel Osteen Ministries, CFE Federal Credit Union, Adventist University of Health Sciences, United World Soccer, and a collection of others. Yoder is a native of central Wisconsin, where she began her career in Advertising and Marketing, and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. “We are fortunate for our continued client and agency growth, affording us with the opportunity to expand our account management team, and our commitment to providing unsurpassed service to our valued clients,” said BIGEYE’s CEO and Principal, Justin Ramb. “Brittany’s broad expertise in partnering with a number of high profile brands only reinforces our ability to adapt to a rapidly burgeoning portfolio.” The addition of Yoder to BIGEYE is one of several new hire announcements over the past 18 months. Since December 2014, BIGEYE has welcomed a number of new employees, including Account Manager, Ashley Tice, Graphic Designer, Dani Alfonso, Web Developer Christopher Judge, and most recently, Digital Marketing Manager Tim McCormack, and Digital Marketing Coordinator Meredith Robinson. For more information on careers at BIGEYE, visit https://www.bigeyeagency.com/careers/. About BIGEYE BIGEYE is a fully integrated advertising agency that establishes meaningful connections between brands and consumers through the fulfillment of consumer needs and wants. Founded in 2002, BIGEYE was named Central Florida’s Best Ad Agency in the Orlando Business Journal’s 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards, and recently named a 2015 Top Social & Digital Media Marketing Agency in Central Florida. For more information, please visit bigeyeagency.com. Contact: Megan Bobiak BIGEYE 407.839.8599 x204 megan@bigeyeagency.com
The top twelve tips on how to market a restaurant
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BIGEYE’s newest additions, Tim McCormack and Meredith Robinson
Orlando, Florida – July 27, 2015 – BIGEYE, a fully integrated advertising agency based in Orlando, Florida announced today that the firm’s digital marketing team has expanded, including the addition of Tim McCormack, who will fulfill the role of Digital Marketing Manager, and Meredith Robinson, the agency’s new Digital Marketing Coordinator. Given the increased demand for digital services from agency clients, coupled with ongoing innovations in social media strategy, analytics, and measurement, BIGEYE has chosen to invest further in this area of discipline by expanding the department and services provided therein. McCormack is an experienced digital marketer who most recently served as Digital Marketing Team Lead at Orlando-based advertising agency, &Barr. A graduate of the University of Central Florida, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, he began his career working exclusively as a member of a law firm’s Internet marketing team. McCormack possesses significant expertise in search marketing, conversion marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and digital media, and will provide invaluable insight to clients, while in turn, overseeing the coordination of all digital marketing services for the organization, both internal and external in nature. Robinson is an Orlando native who joins BIGEYE as Digital Marketing Coordinator, following her tenure at a Tallahassee, Florida-based marketing agency. She is a graduate of Florida State University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Communications and Technology. Working collaboratively with McCormack, her role encompasses various concentrated responsibilities, including: content creation and community engagement for various social media platforms, facilitation of research, administration of email, search, conversion, and inbound marketing programs as directed. “We’re so incredibly excited to welcome both Tim and Meredith to BIGEYE, as we expand the Digital Marketing team. Digital is a critical component of the overall marketing strategy for a growing number of our valued clients, and having in-house expertise and an enhanced concentration in this discipline will prove to be hugely beneficial to new and prospective clientele,” said BIGEYE’s CEO and Principal, Justin Ramb. “Their combined experience working in direct partnership with a number of digital media tools and industry partners will prove to be of fundamental importance to the department, ensuring that clients achieve their stated business goals and objectives.” The addition of McCormack and Robinson to BIGEYE is one of several new hire announcements over the past 18 months – since December 2014, BIGEYE has welcomed a number of new employees, including Account Manager, Ashley Tice, Graphic Designer, Dani Alfonso, and Web Developer Christopher Judge. For more information on careers at BIGEYE, visit https://www.bigeyeagency.com/careers/. About BIGEYE BIGEYE is a fully integrated advertising agency that establishes meaningful connections between brands and consumers through the fulfillment of consumer needs and wants. Founded in 2002, BIGEYE was named Central Florida’s Best Ad Agency in the Orlando Business Journal’s 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards. For more information, please visit bigeyeagency.com. Contact: Megan Bobiak BIGEYE 407.839.8599 x204 megan@bigeyeagency.com
You say you want a revolution? Here comes apple music
So far, the reaction has been “mostly good” for Apple Music, its new streaming service that debuted June 30. And, knowing how easy Apple products are to adapt to, many early bugs will either be squashed quickly, or people will soon find themselves willing to learn to live with these minor technological hiccups. Certainly not everyone is going to like it instantly, such as loyalists to Spotify or Pandora, two streaming services that stand to lose market share. Don’t forget the legion of Taylor Swift enthusiasts, who are proud of her request for artists to be paid. (Apple blinked first on that one, but still included her tunes in its library.) There was an initial kerfuffle about Beats Music not being all that it was cracked up to be. Or really not having anything at all that some consumers want, besides some “recommended music.” Wired business columnist Marcus Wohlsen even went so far as to call Beats a “broken promise.” Other feedback on its first day was generally positive – customers liked how you can push one button to request “more music like this.” The “heart”/like feature is a useful one, and the recommendations for music based on where you are, what you’re doing and what your mood is also sounds like it has potential. The new social network, Connect, is a little bit of an unknown – music can be a great conversation starter or discussion topic, and it’s all right there, but some users may not be ready to get involved with yet another social channel. As TechCrunch describes the service, it’s for “people with no clue what to stream.” But being Apple, integration/sharing between your other iWhatever products will likely be seamless – iPads, iPhones, Powerbooks, desktops, TV and iCloud storage. The three-month free trial also won’t hurt any and will let people take their time exploring and hopefully they won’t want to give it up when the free ride ends. Another encouraging sign is how businesses can get involved. Apple’s iAd program has always made it easy to create an ad campaign, select a budget and target certain Apple users on different platforms or in different demographic groups. Advertisers are invited to take part in Radio on Apple Music, which offers different channels of different types of music. Audio and video ad slots are available, which can appeal to different types of listeners – those who pick a channel and let the music play continuously in the background, or those who are actively monitoring their selections and channels The Radio on Apple Music advertiser ads can be shown to users beyond the radio channels, including while browsing or playing music, shopping, reading, chatting or using different Apple products. Having access to Radio might be a great tool for advertisers in knowing even more about their audience. Along with traditional fields like age, location and general interests, Apple can connect advertisers with users who have indicated they like certain types of music and dislike others. The audio and/or video messages can also be shared across different devices. Ready to learn more about how Apple Music can help you promote your brand? Contact our team of media buying experts today to learn more!
BIGEYE selected as Bronze winner At the 36th Annual Telly Awards
Orlando, Florida – June 23, 2015 – BIGEYE, a fully integrated advertising agency based in Orlando, Florida, has been selected as a Bronze winner in the 36th Annual Telly Awards for their piece entitled, “Howard Phillips Center: Children’s Advocacy Center Video.” The competition included nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states, and numerous countries. The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) at The Howard Phillips Center for Children unites police officers, school officials, nurses, and doctors to protect and investigate children who have been victims of child abuse. With the main goal of preventing re-victimization of children, the CAC provides assessment, advocacy, and therapy services to abused and neglected children. Despite the overarching sadness associated with abuse and neglect, the organization requested a video that combats these emotions, serving to provide encouragement, positivity, and inspiration, and its catalyst stemmed from the results of a children’s art project featured in the Center. Like flowers that may wither away without water and sunshine, children without CAC may not recover without its services. [vimeo]125149252[/vimeo] For its 36th season, The Telly Awards once again joined forces with YouTube to give the public the power to view and rate videos submitted as part of the Telly Awards. In addition to recognition from the Silver Telly Council, the judging panel that selects the Telly Awards winners. A prestigious judging panel of over 500 accomplished industry professionals, each a past winner of a Silver Telly and a member of The Silver Telly Council, judged the competition, upholding the historical standard of excellence that Telly represents. The Silver Telly Council evaluated entries to recognize distinction in creative work – entries do not compete against each other – rather entries are judged against a high standard of merit. Less than 10% of entries are chosen as Winners of the Silver Telly, the highest honor. Approximately 25% of entries are chosen as Winners of the Bronze Telly. [quote]“The Telly Awards has a mission to honor the very best in film and video,” said Linda Day, Executive Director of the Telly Awards. “BIGEYE’s accomplishment illustrates their creativity, skill, and dedication to their craft and serves as a testament to great film and video production.”[/quote] “We are extremely honored to have partnered with the Howard Phillips Center for Children to provide video production expertise, resulting in a finished product that truly exemplifies the power of the amazing work done by the Children’s Advocacy Center,” commented Justin Ramb, BIGEYE’s CEO and Principal. About BIGEYE BIGEYE is a fully integrated advertising agency that establishes meaningful connections between brands and consumers through the fulfillment of consumer needs and wants. Founded in 2002, BIGEYE was recently named Central Florida’s Best Ad Agency in the Orlando Business Journal’s 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards. For more information, please visit bigeyeagency.com. About The Telly Awards The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 and is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online commercials, video and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world. For a complete list of winners, please visit http://www.tellyawards.com/winners/. ###
It’s all about the game of marketing march madness
Ah, Spring. The days are longer, hotter, and the beaches are filled with travelers reveling in the splendor of precious days spent enjoying long-awaited spring break vacations. Whether you’re a flip flop loving Floridian, or you’re still longing for a day at the beach, sporting your winter coat before it’s confined to your closet for months, there’s one thing we, as marketers, can all agree on. The NCAA Men’s Basketball tourney, affectionately known as “March Madness” is upon us, and it’s a game-changing, time zapping phenomenon – with the potential to serve as an advertiser’s annual dream come true. While in the workplace, CEO’s might tend to focus on the dreaded decrease in productivity – employers stand to lose up to $1.9 billion in 2015 alone – the benefits for brands who take advantage of the exposure associated with those teams selected to make it to “The Big Dance” have the potential to lead to some pretty impressive profit margins. (Surely, that makes up for the hours lost “studying-up” on office bracketology, right?) Well, you don’t have to be a multi-million dollar, nationally recognized company with a significant budget to implement highly effective strategies related to marketing March Madness. It can really be as simple as a bank shot. So, what are the true playmakers that your brand might consider during this “Super Bowl” of collegiate basketball? At BIGEYE, we’ve put in the practice time off the court to present you with a few pointers (all three’s, of course) to help you master marketing March Madness: Develop a bracket contest Every office has one, so why not create a little healthy competition with your followers online? Drive traffic to your website by creating a contest to engage with your fans, with a noteworthy prize for the winner. While you may not be able to present a national championship trophy as your coveted prize, there are some creative, outside of the box opportunities to generate buzz, and further your brand’s advocacy. Host a game viewing party to showcase your fun side Host a fun-filled game viewing party, whether attended by your staff, or where you invite clients to join the festivities. Who doesn’t love a good tchotchke? Provide logoed goodies to your partygoers, then move the party highlights – and hijinks – to your Facebook and Instagram pages to boost likes – again, affording you with an opportunity to get in front of new followers. Consider your target audience and be top-of-mind According to AdWeek, the average age of the avid college basketball fanatic is men under the age of 50. Make sure your promotional outreach is highly visible where this audience spends most of its time during the tourney. Be it a sports bar, online updating his bracket – or bragging about his selections and prediction prowess – focus your campaign’s strategic efforts and media mix to ensure that effective placement is a top offensive priority. [quote]You’ve got the ball, and the expertise to showcase your brand’s personality and unique selling proposition, so drive down the court and land a slam dunk.[/quote] Share relevant – and really captivating – content Be sure that any and all content you share will have perceived value for the seasoned fan. Remember, a number of those that you engage with have been filling out a bracket season-over-season for years, and you’ll want to provide entertaining, informative, and intriguing information that resonates. No matter your budget, the opportunities to jump on the bandwagon – and capitalize on marketing March Madness – are endless. Win or lose, sports aficionados are in high spirits, and with a little creativity, you might find that advocates for your brand may become as devoted to you as they are to their beloved team. And did I mention that I just might have set-up my own bracket based upon colors and mascots alone? (Who knows, I just might make it to the Final Four, so feel free to be inspired by my technique!) Looking for more creative strategies to reach your intended audience – and increase your fanatical fanbase? Contact us today to help us develop your game plan!
BIGEYE wins 2 Gold and 8 Silver 2015 American Advertising Awards
ORLANDO, Fla. – March 10, 2015 – BIGEYE, a fully integrated advertising agency based in Orlando, Florida, was honored with two gold and eight silver 2015 American Advertising Awards, formerly the ADDY® Awards, at the recent American Advertising Federation-Orlando American Advertising Awards Gala held in the DeVos Family Room at the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando on Saturday, March 7, 2015. BIGEYE’s Circa at FishHawk Ranch captured a Gold award in the highly contested Integrated Campaigns category. Another Gold award was presented to BIGEYE in the Public Service category for the Howard Phillips Center – Children’s Advocacy Center video. In addition to the 2 Gold awards presented, BIGEYE also received top honors, as the recipient of 8 Silver awards, including: Integrated Campaigns – Consumer Regional/National category for Circa at FishHawk Ranch Services category for the Turnkey Media Solutions Website Sales Promotion category for the Circa at FishHawk Ranch Campaign Illustration Single category for the Nielsen Global Business Services Video Branded Content more than 60 seconds category for the Howard Phillips Center – Children’s Advocacy Center Video Responsive Design category for the Turnkey Media Solutions Responsive Website Logo category for the Save This Buy That Logo Animation or Special Effects category for the Nielsen Global Business Services Video In addition to the American Advertising Awards success, BIGEYE‘s CEO and Principal, Justin Ramb, was invited to judge this year’s student competition of the American Advertising Awards in Orlando and Creative Director, Seth Segura, judged the Space Coast American Advertising Awards. [quote]“We share this great honor with our client partners, without whom this would not have been possible,” said Ramb. “The American Advertising Awards showcase the best creative advertising work in the country and we are humbled to be recognized as one of the region’s top agencies.”[/quote] BIGEYE will be advancing its Silver awards to the Fourth District American Advertising Federation’s American Advertising Awards competition, which will be held on May 2, 2015 in Orlando, Florida, with hopes of advancing to the national competition, which will take place on June 13, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. ### About BIGEYE BIGEYE is a highly creative and strategic advertising agency that establishes meaningful connections between brands and consumers through the fulfillment of consumer needs and wants. Founded in 2002, BIGEYE was recently named Central Florida’s Best Ad Agency in the Orlando Business Journal’s 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards. For more information, please visit bigeyeagency.com. About The American Advertising Awards The American Advertising Awards, formerly the ADDY® Awards, is the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition, attracting over 40,000 entries every year in local AAF Club (Ad Club) competitions. The mission of the American Advertising Awards competition is to recognize and reward the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising. For more information, please visit americanadvertisingawards.com.