Hasta La Creative!

We will conclude any and all SXSWi 2014 coverage with this final installment from Randall Stone, director of experience innovation at NYC-based brand strategy/design shop, Lippincott. Here’s yet another view from the grounds at the event in case you missed out on the affair. Take it away, sir.

Wow. “South By”, as I quickly learned to refer to it as, was a true experience. And, why shouldn’t it be? It combines intelligence and brilliance with casual unsophistication. It is a dynamic event unlike any other – an intellectual party of sorts – most definitely not a conference, yet way more substantive than drinks with strangers. It uniquely combines relevant and just plain interesting insights, the Austin backdrop and thousands of people who care about what you do.

You don’t “do” SX. It’s too big, too sprawling, too diverse. You experience it. You have to come to Austin, let go, and hand yourself over to friendly people with whom you enjoy talking. You can’t attend. You have to participate. And, isn’t that what any great experience is? A two way encounter of surprise and delight. Our world is not siloed or linear. We like liked-minded people, but none of us are exactly alike.

Despite running on empty, you keep running. And, why not? Inspiring sessions from the most unlikely sources keep you stimulated, unique brand experiences keep you on your toes, food trucks keep you satiated, Lone Star keeps you hydrated and the parties and networking keep you social and awake. At SX, be prepared to be entertained to the point of feeling guilty and to embrace a spirit of sharing, networking and learning unlike any other.

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A pair of creative lads from Atlanta-based Moxie, both of whom happen to be named Dustin — Dustin Thompson and Dustin Thomas — are documenting all things SXSW with a customized site.

Dustin and Dustin are also tracking their SXSW adventures using the #DXDT hashtag, if you care to follow along on Twitter. If you’re at SXSW, or you just want a fun way to catch up with what’s going, their site is a fun way to keep tabs on the action. They even have a SXSW Google Glass count. As the pair puts it themselves, “It might get weird — so weird you’d swear you were there!”

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After a change in leadership and rebrand earlier this summer, Lowe Campbell Ewald is putting their weight behind the bankrupt city they call home: Detroit. Creative Director Iain Lanivich says, “Does it bother us that Detroit went bankrupt? Not really. What matters is that it’s rich in creativity, innovation, and inspiration. So come join us…in defining the future of Detroit.” Next year, Campbell will move 600+ employees to Detroit, though it’s unclear where they’ll be moving from and what other incentives are involved (hopefully a free full body puffer coat for the Michigan winter, at least).

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In cased you missed the unveiling of SS+K’s Vine SXSWi search tool dubbed “SX6S,” the agency has rolled out the highlight reel above to give you a feel of the goings-on in Austin this past week. Thankfully, our sort-of ADD makes clips like this quite palatable. Here’s some context from SS+K head of production, John Swartz:

 ”We brought these vines together and edited as you might any montage, or even a music video. But as we did, we realized that the range of vines gave us incredible flexibility in telling the story of the festival. And rather than just play back the videos in sequence, we thought presenting them in a more visually engaging, even frenetic way, gave a better sense of the mania of the festival.

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Back under gray skies here in NYC, our SXSWi memories wind down today with a little ditty courtesy of the one and only Shaquille O’Neal, the former NBA star/current TNT b-ball analyst and Buick pitchman who, for entertainment sakes, made this call to the wife of Campbell-Ewald group digital creative director, Iain Lanivich. Of course, we’re sure the cheery mood was buoyed not just by the Big Aristotle, but the word that the C-E is on the verge of winning Cadillac. We inquired about this last week, and didn’t hear word, but have been hearing that the Cadillac deal was imminent for almost six weeks. Now that it’s been made public via AdAge and others, it appears to be the case, though no one’s talking as evidenced by said trade’s post. We’ve hit the same wall on inquiries, but here’s one interesting tipster’s note, from March 7.

“The only reason Cambell Ewald is moving Downtown is because they are getting the Cadillac Ad account. GM demaded that if they get the account they MUST move downtown. It’s a done deal, the current agency Fallon is located in Minn. and GM is making this move SOON!”

Not sure that’s the “only reason,” but if it goes through, it’s a reunion of sorts between GM and Campbell-Ewald, which as we all recall lost the Chevy business after 91 years in early 2010.

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Perhaps best known by her nickname “Swiss Miss,” graphic designer and entrepreneur Tina Roth Eisenberg took the SXSW Interactive stage for the second featured keynote of the festival.

Aside from running the popular design blog and studio Swiss Miss, Roth Eisenberg is the driving force behind nationwide events series Creative Mornings, collaborative workspace Studiomates, to-do app TeuxDeux, and temporary tattoo company Tattly. In other words, side projects are pretty much her thing. While yesterday’s keynote featuring SpaceX/Tesla Motors CEO Elon Muskfocused predominantly on technology, Roth Eisenberg used her time to inspire creatives to use their enthusiasm to find success. Inspired by her Swiss aunt, a fashion designer and artist, she emphasized the importance of creatives surrounding themselves with other creative people saying, “Nothing more refreshing than being around people who are passionate about what they do.”

For creatives hoping to find the same type of success as herself, Roth Eisenberg listed these 11 steps:

1. Invest your life in what you love
2. Embrace enthusiasm
3. Don’t complain, make things better
4. Trust and empower
5. Experiences > money
6. Surround yourself with likeminded people
7. Collaborate
8. Ignore haters
9. Make time to think and breathe
10. If an opportunity scares you, take it
11. Be someone’s eccentric aunt

“Real connections are not made through computer screens,” Roth Eisenberg says. The immense growth of Studiomates and Creative Mornings in a short amount of time is undoubtedly a testament to Roth Eisenberg’s own passion and emphasis on creative collaboration.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Yeah, the time change didn’t work in our favor,  but yes kids, we are here and broadcasting as well as we can. After flight delays and getting our badge just in the nick of time last night before the Austin Convention Center shut down, we hit up the JWT party at Lustre Pearl. Following a brief encounter down the street with a very cordial Alex Jones, who was doing his usual ranting and raving fresh off a protest downtown, we ventured down Driskill and encountered the homely spot, Lustre Pearl, where JWT played host to the band, Walk Off the Earth (below). Gotye cover aside, we were not so enthused with the multi-instrumental act, which sounded like a jam-band version of Arcade Fire, if that’s possible.

Nevertheless, talking shit with industry heads and all the JWT top brass including Jeff Benjamin, Mauro Cavelletti and Perry Fair, the last of whom is promoting the agency’s pop-up shop, Walter, was fine enough. Besides, don’t tell me you wouldn’t dance like an idiot in a sea of fog to Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” if you didn’t just retain a major client. We will be hitting up Draftfcb, Crowdtap and Barbarian events tonight and will promptly be in bed my midnight. But we’ll talk to you beforehand with some panel thoughts.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.