Departing Copywriter Thanks Every Single Innocean Employee in His Goodbye Note

Matt League is a copywriter. We know that he has been working at Innocean for the past three and a half years but will be leaving for another gig.

We also know that his work on the 2014 Hyundai Super Bowl campaign landed him on Business Insider’s 30 Under 30 list for that year, and that he sent out a very, very extensive last day goodbye note today to his soon-to-be-former colleagues. Like, every one of them.

Based on our reading of this case study in obsessive compulsive behavior (the good kind), it would seem that League didn’t really know or work directly with quite a few of his co-workers. As he asks one Innoceaner, “Are you the Michelle who let me have her French fries that one time?”

There’s a bit of repetition in here, but it still totally scales. League tells us it was less a project than a last-minute idea that kept him up until 2 AM last night.

Here’s the full email…all 343 entries and 4,774 words of it.

Innocean friends, after nearly 3.5 years, it’s time for us to finally part ways. So how do you say goodbye to 343 of the best people you’ve ever had the pleasure of working with? You do it the gosh darn way they deserve. One person at a time. (scroll to find your personalized goodbye)

A

Abes, Theresa – Ah, Theresa. We had some good times, didn’t we? Remember all the laughs we shared waiting for our morning coffee in the cafe? I’ll never forget that joke you told me that one time. How did it go, again?

Allen, James – James, you were like a brother to me. In the sense that my brother lives 1200 miles away and we don’t really talk that often.

An, Calvin – I’ll always be your Hobbs.

An, Rachel – Rachel! We’ve known each other since we were in diapers! I can’t believe we just discovered we both work together! I can’t believe fate is tearing us apart again!

Anderson, Leslie – I’ll always admire you for your ability to hold 12-second conversations in elevators.

Arentsen, Jason – We were close in seating proximity. And close in heart proximity.

Artaserse, Theresa – I was in a really dark place there for a little bit. But you, Theresa Artaserse (is that Italian?) were there to pull me out.

Ashby, Charlie – You had some really good hats, man. Reallly good hats.

Austin, Eddie – Every day at 3:16, I looked for you at the end of the pier. I wanted you to be there in cut-off jean shorts and a Stone Cold Steve Austin T. I wanted it so bad.

 

B

Baek, Kay – Kay, what can I say that hasn’t already been said in our three years of working together?

Barkhurst, Jackie – You were my first art director. My last art director. My everything art director.

Barrand, Sheila – Your last name might sound a bit “barren”. But the fields of our work relationship were anything but.

Barry, Jeff – Don’t think I haven’t noticed what I imagine to be a pretty strict workout regimen.

Beak, Patrick – We’ll always have the Bridge.

Bergman, Joe – The best “How’s it goin’?” head nod in the business.

Betts, Brian – The best “Almost Friday” head nod in the business.

Bierley, Craig – The best “Really been workin’ on my head nod” head nod in the business.

Bissell, Jill – Bissell! The Biz! The Biz Kid! Gettin’ Bissell with it!

Bittker, Brian – I’ll never forget that time I asked you for product specs and you gave them to me. What a guy.

Black, Hilary – Fastest email replier this side of the Mississippi.

Blett, Tim – Sometimes I would poke my head into your office when you weren’t there, just to see what success smells like.

Borgatta Liuzzi, Chrissy – Big fan of repeating syllables, those Borgattas.

Boyd, Chanel – No one will ever be able to fill the Boyd you’re leaving in my life.

Brady, James – I remember that time you dropped your pen. We both reached for it, and for a brief moment our hands brushed together. I felt it. And I think you felt it, too.

Butler, Christy – Don’t worry, the family secret you told me at the holiday party is safe with me.

 

C

Cagney, Andrea – Remember, Andrea: a little avocado and olive oil from tips to roots for that next-level shine!

Cannalonga, Fabrizia – Thanks for the cookies!

Chaney, Peter – What are you going to do with your book of Jesus jokes without me?

Chang, Hasun – Don’t got Chang’in on me!

Charnis, Tanya – Remember what happened yesterday on our way to that meeting? Ahh, those were the days.

Cheng, Suzanne – I’ve tried to impart as much of my Greek Yogurt knowledge on you as I could. I just hope it was enough.

Chin, Jeff – I left a $10 bill for you somewhere in the office. Your first clue is: Burt Reynolds’ moustache.

Cho, Chris – I never thought I would meet anyone who likes dinosaurs as much as I do and then I found you!

Choe, Michelle – Are you the Michelle who let me have her French fries that one time?

Choi, Diana – Meet you all the way! (ba-duh-duh-duh!) Dianaaa yeahhh!

Chow, Lawrence – I hope Dennis Quaid’s story of triumph and perseverance in the Disney classic “The Rookie” is as much an inspiration to you as it was to me.

Chow, MJ – Remember that time I held the café door open for you? Because I remember. Oh, I remember.

Chow, Stan – My man!

Clemens, Heidi – Remember, Heidi, only YOU can prevent forest fires!

Cliburn, Scott – Remember, Scott, D.A.R.E. to say no to drugs!

Cole, Art – Art Cole. You sound like a man who knows a thing or two about life.

Collins, Parker – I left you my “Ice Road Truckers” DVD collection (with director commentary). I know how much you loved that show.

Comer, Paige – So we turn the Paige and say goodbye and walk away from everything!

Conway, Reed – Please take care of the hot sauce in my absence. You were always like a father to them.

Corotan, Nick – You sound like you should be off exploring ancient ruins somewhere.

Coventry, Melanie – You sound like you have a hidden room behind your bookcase.

Crandall, Jene – Jene Crandall! The Cranberry Kid! You sure were a heck of a ballplayer back in your day.

Crisostomo, Elisa – No mo Crisostomo :(

Cronin, Jeff – Jeff, what’s happened to us? We’ve gone and let ourselves get old. What happened to the dreams we talked about, Jeff? What happened to Morocco?

Cruz, Jasmine – I only wish I could have shown you “A Whole New World”.

Cunningham, Jen – Please do remember to chew your food at least 32 times while I’m gone.

 

D

Dalli, Damien – I’ll never forget our German sausage cook-offs. It was the best of times. It was the wurst of times.

Damm, Alex – They be, they be sayin’ DAMM! You got some big feet!

Daniel, Imke – Think about that WWF trading card deal I offered you. Hulk Hogan for Ric Flair is more than a fair deal.

Davidson, Bret – I know it was you who stole my scissors. I’ve known this whole time.

Davis, Ann – Here’s lookin’ at you kid! (points finger gun in Ann’s direction)

Davis, Carey – Carey on my wayward son.

Davis, Lon – You have the right to remain… excellent.

Davis, Michael – It’s like Elle Woods says in “Legally Blonde” – Bend and snap!

Davison, Mike – It’s like Elle Woods says in “Legally Blonde 2” – I didn’t know I could be this happy without incurring credit card debt!

DeVries, Maximo – It’s like Annie Woods said in the 2009 straight to DVD film “Legally Blondes” – Imagine, summer clothes all year round!

DiBiagio, Bryan – No. 1 in my heart. No. 62 of 343 in my goodbye email.

Dintzner, Derek – Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that time you took the last slice of pizza. I never forget a last slice of pizza.

Diver, Shane – I still haven’t recovered from finding out your last name isn’t pronounced with a long I.

Dollis, Hayes – We shoulda taken a left turn at Albuquerque.

Dominguez, Devondra – My great grandpappy was right about you! Sweetest girl this side of the Rio Grande.

Dutton, Eric – Oh no! I’ve been calling you ‘Derek’ this whole time! How embarrassing!

 

E

Ellison, Julie – I’m sorry I told the entire office you like chocolate chips in your pancakes. I realize now what an egregious error that was.

Eslinger, Jose – One day I will also have a child, and with it, the power of the Dad Joke.

Estrada, Stephen – I hope you’ve forgiven me for bailing on our “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” night. Now if only I could forgive myself.

Eukovich, Brittany – We’ve gone Down For Garth. Perhaps someday he’ll return the favor.

 

F

Farjo, Jonathan – You’re gonna go Far(jo), kid.

Fessenden, Amanda – My mother told me never to trust a girl named Amanda. Well, my mother was wrong.

Fink, Jamie – Out of all the cubicles in all the offices in all the world, you had to walk into this one.

Fisher, Paula – We’ll always have Mexico.

Flora, Nicholas – We’ll always have Venice.

Fogel, Brad – We’ll always have Rome.

Frankel, Alex – We’ll always have Tahiti.

Freight, Nigel – We’ll always have Comic Sans.

French, Montez – My great grandpappy was right about you. Hardest worker this side of the Colorado!

Frost, Brian – Things started off a bit “Frosty” but we’ve certainly warmed up to each other!

Funiestas, Mike – Mike, my good man. We thought this day would never come. And now it’s here.

 

G

Gamez, Edgar – Teach me how to Gamez.

Garcia, Angel – Seems like only yesterday we were toddlers splashing around in the kiddie pool together!

Gentry, Kirt – I think you left your pen at my desk. Is it the blue one?

Georgieff, Chris – I always thought you would make an excellent Jeff Goldblum impersonator.

Gerstner, Charles – Charles Gerstner’s not just good, he’s Gerrrreat!

Godfrey, Stephanie – My great great grandpappy was right about you. Smartest gal this side of the Chattahoochee!

Gogley, Ben – Think about what I said about the Google law suit. I think we have a good case for encroaching on intellectual last name likeness.

Goldberg, Barney – I’m sorry I didn’t build you a better Elantra campaign, Barney. (at this point I’m just regurgitating ‘Titanic’ quotes and hoping no one notices)

Gomez, Antonio – I bet you hate Antonio Banderes for the levels of sexiness he has associated with your first name.

Gomez, Josh – We were always just like ships passing in the alley in the night.

Gomez, Nicole – Remember that time we got sand in our socks at the beach and it was just the worst! Ohh, memories!

Gordon, Megan – Are you related to Natalie Gordon? If not, you two should totally meet up. I bet you have SO much in common.

Gordon, Natalie – See above.

Goston, Tiana – You were my Chevy Silverado. You were my rock.

Gray, Darian – I have your notepad. If you want it back bring $5,000 in unmarked bills to Dos Toros at noon. Come alone.

Graziano, Maria – I hope you’re living the life just like a movie star, Maria, Maria.

Guzman, Lauren – Just keep swiping, just keep swiping. Oh wait, you’re not on Tinder you’re married!

 

H

Hajimomen, Matthew – Nice name, bro.

Halas, Chris – Somehow I’ve come to own three motorcycle shirts. And zero motorcycles.

Ham, Tanner – I always wanted to don you with the nickname of “The Ham”. Perhaps in my stead, someone with more courage than I will do so.

Hansen, Brente – I think Creed best described our relationship: IIIowyonnabeithyouuuu!

Hart, Michael – Are you a fan of the late-90s/early-00s WWF family wrestling dynasty, The Harts? Yeah me too.

Hathaway, McKay – Screw Anne. I’m on #TeamMcKay

Heins, Corissa – Are you a big Melissa Joan Hart fan? Are you a fan of explaining it all?

Henderson, Erica – I have your stapler. If you want it back bring $5,000 in unmarked bills to Dos Toros at noon. Bring tequila. And some staples.

Hill, Shareen – If Innocean was a yearbook, I’d vote you best dressed any day.

Hoogenakker, David – My great great great grandpappy was right about you. Toughest SOB this side of the Missouri!

Hosmann, Kevin – What a hoss, man…

Hubler, Morgan – Yours was the hair that kept me going. Yours was the inspiration.

Hunt, Jamie – I say you and the guy/gal below you battle it out Thunderdome style for name supremacy.

Hutter, Jamie – See above.

 

J

Jafri, Shamsa – If Monday was a pit of quick sand, you were the low-hanging vine I could always reach to pull me out.

Jensen, Cynthia – If Tuesday was a succubus, you were the lady-bro who awoke me to her evil ways.

Jimenez, Joanne – If Wednesday was black licorice, you were my knight in Twizzler armor.

Johnson, Brad – If Thursday was a downhill slope, you were my Radio Flyer wagon.

Johnson, Jason – If Friday was a jailbreak, you were my getaway car.

Johnston, Jeff – If Saturday was a Celine Dion concert, you were my Ride Or Die B.

Judd, Bridgett – If Sunday was a brunch, you were my bottomless mimosa.

Jun, Steve – Reaalllly screwin’ up this whole seven days of the week thing I had going. J/k <3 you, Steve.

 

K

Kaigler, Zach – It’s 11 pm and I’m writing goodbye notes, the majority of which will never be read. I hold you partially responsible for this.

Kang, Rose – I get a little bit Genghis Kang!

Karim, AJ – I always wanted to arm wrestle you. I’m sorry we never got the chance.

Katool, Joseph – I think Meatloaf best described our relationship with the hit classic “Bat Out of Hell”.

Keller, Mike – I bet you rue the day that Helen decided she wanted to be famous.

Kennedy, Evan – The beard is strong in this one.

Kern, Jerry – I should probably start using some “Office Space” references.

Kim, Claire – Reeeally wish I knew more “Office Space” references.

Kim, Jennifer – Something about TPS reports.

Kim, John – Something about a stapler.

Kim, Minseok – Look, I’m not saying I wish YOU didn’t work at Innocean right about now. I’m just saying after 200 goodbye notes I wish a lot of SOMEONES didn’t work at Innocean right about now.

Kindle, Kathleen – Don’t you hate it when people type ‘KK’ in text messages? Almost as bad as the single ‘K’.

Klein, Amy – I have your favorite pen. If you want it back bring $5,000 in unmarked bills to TK Burget at one. Bring ketchup.

Koo, Hoon – I’ve always admired the ratio of O’s to not O’s in your name.

Koshy, Kiran – Hi, Kiran. Do you have a moment to talk about our Lord and Savior, Taco Tuesday?

Krause, Amy – Remember that long talk we had on the beach? Or was that another Amy? Or was that another Matt??

Krisl, Anne – Out of the hundreds of BFFs I made at Innocean, you were the most B.

Kuo, Eddie – I’ve always wanted to know, who’s your favorite Little Rascal?

Kuroye, Gwen – You know what they say, a Gwen is a Gwen.

Kwasigroch, Nina – Nina fina fo fina, me my mo mina, Nina fo fina. Nina!

 

L

Larson, Theresa – Do you ever think that the Baconator was simply ahead of its time?

Lavdas, Debbie – You give Debbie’s a GOOD name! (sang to the tune of Jon Bon)

Lee, Hosub – What have LEE here?

Lee, Jason – Take it or LEEve it!

Lee, Jennifer – HoLEE moLEE!

Lee, Josh – LEEn on me!

Levine, Carissa – I have your cereal. If you want it back bring $5,000 in unmarked bills to TK Burget at one. Bring Sriracha.

Lewin, Aimee – If the moon was made of Baconator, would ya eat it?

Liev, Meng – We coulda been contenders!

Lim, Irene – Man, we really filled out some time sheets didn’t we, Irene? We filled ‘em out good!

Lind, Nicholas – I’m sorry about what Mr. Sparks has done to you.

Lombard, Carol – You would get my Lombard(i) Trophy any day!

Long, Jenny – This goodbye email has slowly descended into me making bad puns out of people’s names. But NOT your name, Jenny Long! Not your name…

Lopez, Lisa – Don’t make a TLC joke, don’t make a TLC joke, don’t make a TLC joke…

Lugar, Joel – They tried to give me the nickname of Loogie in grade school. I hope you didn’t suffer the same fate.

Lum, Patty – My mom is also named Patty! D’oh, we would have been the BEST of friends!

Lynch, Chris – I think Beyoncé best described our relationship with the hit classic “Bootylicious”.

 

M

Mach, Sofia – Your profound views on the “Twilight” saga changed my life forever.

Mackenzie, Rachel – I went to kindergarten with a girl whose first name was Mackenzie. Crazy world we live in.

Mai, Jack – Looks like I’m the one that’s hitting the road this time, Jack.

Marello, Nick – Chicago is so beautiful! The grass is greener! The birds are chirpier! The exposed brick is exposier!

Marinkovic, Marisstella – If your last name started with an “A” instead of an “M” this note would be much better.

Markiewicz, Marcin – We’ll always have the sausage maker.

Marquez, Patricia – I think Garth Brooks best described our relationship with the hit classic “Rodeo”.

Martin, Lori – Remember that time we had improv class together? Boy howdy!

Matheu, Amy – My only wish is that some day you will see the truth and the light that waffle fry is king!

Matthews, Lawrence – Our relationship was like a Michael Bay film: too much lense flare and not enough Megan Fox.

McAdams, Jade – I have your push pins. If you want them back bring $5,000 in unmarked bills to TK Burget at one. Come with jalapenos.

Mejia, Anthony – Out of all the Anthony’s I’ve ever known, you were by far the best.

Mesfin, David – Out of all the David’s I’ve ever known, you were also the best.

Miller, Kristen – Miller?! I hardly know ‘er!

Molina, Edgar – Your profound views on the “Legally Blonde” trilogy changed my life forever.

Moon, Gregory – Just like Zach and the gang sang in that classic “Saved by the Bell” episode, we’re gonna be frieeends forever!

Moore, Melissa – Remember that Rednex concert we went to back in ’94? Boy, we sure were Cotton Eye Joe’ing all over the place weren’t we?

Morrissey, Allison – Allison Wonderland?

Muckenthaler, Scott – This guy definitely won’t Muck things up…

 

N

Natividad, Chester – If your last name started with an “A” instead of an “N” this note would be much better.

Neibel, Valerie – “I don’t know much, but I know I enjoyed working with you! And that may beee all I need to know!”

Nichols, Lisa – You’re worth far more than Nichols in my book.

Nieto, Lindsey – Your profound views on the “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” filmography changed my life forever.

 

O

O’Neill, Alison – Your profound views on the Baconator changed my life forever.

Ocepek, Lisa – If Innocean were a yearbook I’d vote your “Most Likely To Succeed” any day!

Osorio, Charlles – You kids and your crazy two L’s in Charlles names.

 

P

Palmer, Doug – Are you that guy from “Crocodile Tears”?

Park, Alex – Remember that time we both wore the same shirt to work on the same day? Boy, that was embarrassing!

Park, Brian – I’ve known more than a few Brian’s in my day. True story.

Park, Cedric – I think Chopin best described our relationship in his Nocturne op. 9 no. 2.

Partnoff, Tiffany – Have I told you lately that I love the Baconator?

Pass, Rich – I have that one print out from your desk with the really funny saying on it. If you want it back bring $5,000 in unmarked bills to the pier at two. Bring extra shorts.

Pautazzo, Gina – Remember that Soulja Boy concert we went to back in ’07? Boy, we were cranking that (Soulja Boy) all over the place weren’t we?

Pavlik, Claire – To you, Claire Pavlik, I leave my desk plant. Keep it. Water it. Love it.

Perry, Lester – I loved you in “2017 Elantra Briefing”.

Peterson, Cassaundra – Your profound views on Hollywood Hulk Hogan changed my life forever.

Pham-Bui, Nguyet – Consider me a Fan Boy of Pham-Bui!

Phan, Tam – Innocean Banner Ad Champions 2013!

Phillips, Darrell – We’ll always have the “hold onto your butts” email.

Phillips, Jessica – Remember that Baauer concert we went to back in ’12? Boy, we were Harlem Shaking all over the place weren’t we?

Pool, Jill – There aren’t enough crying faces in the Emojiverse to express how I’m feeling right now.

Poole, Brandon – Remember that Petey Pablo concert we went to back in ’01? Boy, we sure had those shirts waving like helicopters, didn’t we?

Powers, Christy – If your last name started with an “A” instead of an “P” this note would be much better.

Presiado, Arnie – Man, we had some crazy times, Arnie! Crazy times!

 

Q

Quon, Jeremy – Jeremy, I want you to be in charge of the Hawaiian Shirt Thursday legacy from here on.

Qushair, Ureesha – Ureesha, I don’t really trust Jeremy to carry on the Hawaiian Shirt Thursday legacy so will you take on this task in the case of his inevitable failure?

 

R

Rachner, Ashley – Stay cool.

Radman, Michelle – Stay #blessed

Ramirez, Esther – Stay #swole

Rana, Sanjay – Stay #AtAHolidayInnExpress

Ratliff, Joshua – Your profound views on Affliction outerwear changed my life forever.

Rayburn, Bob – I would have gone with you to the end. Into the very fires of Mordor!

Receptionist, Innocean – I’ll miss deleting all of your emails. I’ll miss it so much.

Reed, Cassie – There aren’t enough sad faces in the Emojiverse to describe how sad I am to be leaving you.

Regenberg, Celia – Remember what I said about Hammer Pants stocks. Buy low, sell high!

Reneman, Jason – Your transition-from-casual-talk-to-business-talk game has come so far. *tear*

Reusing, Zach – And when you stare into the abyss of a 343-person goodbye email, the abyss stares also into you.

Reyes, Janelle – The woods are lovely, dark, and deep. But I have promises to keep. And miles of goodbye notes to write before I sleep.

Reynoso, Kelsey – I CAN’T HEAR THE LAUGHTER ANYMORE.

Roberts, Jesse – I never told you this, but your swagger always reminded me of Jack Palance.

Rodriguez, Josue – I never told you this, but your musk always reminded me of Jack Palance.

Rodriguez, Pita – If your last name started with an “A” and not an “R” this note would be much better.

Rogers, Rebecca – I think Shania Twain best described our relationship with her hit classic “Man, I Feel Like a Woman”.

Romero, Alex – Don’t. Ever. Stop. Flossing.

Romero, Jimmy – I hope our families can still summer in the Hamptons together.

Ronkoske, Mike – I hope our families can still vacation in the Himalayas together.

Russell, Marc – I hope our families can still eat at the KFC/Taco Bell together.

 

S

Saavedra, Nadia – I’ve been meaning to ask where you stand on the issue of traffic circles?

Salas, Yasmin – I’ve been meaning to ask where you stand on the issue of parallel parking?

Salazar, Ben – I’ve been meaning to ask where you stand on the issue of open-toed shoes in the workplace?

Sales, Michelle – I’ve been meaning to ask where you stand on the issue of gay clown marriage?

Salvatierra, Lizzie – I’ve been meaning to ask where you stand on the issue of the Baconator?

Samuels, Kohl – I’ve been meaning to ask where you stand on the issue of fun control?

Sanson, Barb – I’ve been meaning to ask where you stand on the issue of hardwood flooring?

Sapanos, Melanie – I’ve been meaning to ask where you stand on the issue of standing on issues?

Saul, Chad – I’ve always wanted to ask you how to cope with the internal struggle of pie vs. cake. And now, it’s too late.

Schiller, Lori – Remember what I said about elevator stocks. Buy low, sell high!

Schmidt, Kelly – Keep working on that British accent. It goes a long ways in this business.

Schmitz, Rick – I hope your moon is made of cheese. And I hope you eat it.

Schneider, Erin – Remember that time in third grade when your Tamagotchi died? It was me. I killed your Tamagotchi.

Schneiderjohn, Barbara – If we ever eloped, I would take your last name.

Schnitzer, Darin – “We’re in deep Schnit now”.

Schrader, Steven – It’s like Jack Palance always said, “Confidence is very sexy, don’t you think?”

Sellers, Diana – If your last name started with an “A” and not an “S” this note would be much better.

Sete, Sepa – Remember that DJ Casper concert we went to back in ’00? Boy, we were Cha Cha Sliding all over the place weren’t we?

Seymour, Duran – I’m sorry we never got to have that talk about the birds and the bees.

Sibala, Leonard – I’m sorry we never got to have that talk about Burt’s Bees.

Sirhal, Sabrina – I’m sorry we never got to have that talk about the Bee Gees.

Smith, Jill – I’m sorry we never got to have that talk about the B-52s.

Son, Sung – You were right, Jack Palance’s best role WAS “City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold”!

South, Michelle – Your profound views on the Weiner schnitzel changed my life forever.

Spencer, Nicolette – If I’d worked as hard on the last round of Super Bowl as I have on this email maybe we would have made TWO spots together…

Springer, Eric – Just remember, you can’t spell “S-u-c-c-e-s-s” without “E-r-i-c”. I mean, you can. But you get what I’m saying.

St Pierre, Ebby – I’ve always thought of you as the Bill Belichick of our generation.

Steffen, Beth – KIT!

Stephens, Laura – We should go shopping sometime!

Stone, Mike – We should go ride go karts sometime!

Streadback, Danny – We should go fishing sometime!

Stremel, John – We should get painfully full on burritos sometime!

Striefler, Frank – When you first saw the Baconator did you think to yourself, “science has finally gone too far”?

 

T

Terashima, Mitsuyo – I always pictured you as more of a hot dog guy.

Thomas, Greg – I always pictured you as more of a Capri Sun guy.

Timerson, Nicole – I always pictured you as more of a “Devil Wears Prada” gal.

Ting, Tricia – My only sin was that I caked too much.

Touhey, Justin – I always pictured you as more of a Dolph Lundgren guy.

Tsukahira, Andrew – I always pictured you as more of an Earl Grey tea guy.

Turpin, Miles – The rest of the world might not have gotten to fall in love with our retail campaigns. But WE got to fall in love with our retail campaigns.

 

V

Valbuena, Mylene – Remember what I said about Fanny Packs stock. Buy low, sell high!

Valdez, Shefali – I think Debussy best described our relationship in his classic “Clair De Lune”.

Valenzuela, Edgar – Your profound views on the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster changed my life forever.

Vezzani, Joe – Remember that Marcia Griffiths concert we went to back in ’82? Boy, we were Electric Sliding all over the place weren’t we?

Vickers, Morgan – Do you think anyone else is reading this?

Vincent, Nyaze – If your last name started with an “A” and not a “V” this note would be much better.

Volonte, Vanessa – “Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it’s my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V.”

Votta, Gessenia – Sorry for those times I got all up… Gessenia bizness!

 

W

Wagner, Mark – If the Baconator existed in the same time frame as the Terminator, how do you think this would have affected the future of humanity?

Walbert, Laura – Remember that Los del Rio concert we went to back in ’93? Boy, we were doing the Macarena all over the place weren’t we?

Wautlet, Jessica – Jessica, to you I leave my “Cheaters” DVD collection. (Remember that show? Remember how great it was??)

Werner, Rachel – Your profound views on pocket sand as a primary form of self-defense changed my life forever.

Wetmore, Bradley – You, sir are a gentleman, a scholar, and an editor.

White, Dia – Remember what I said about Moon Shoes stock. Buy low, sell high!

Wilhelm, Andrew – Look at me. You’re the Brunch Captain now!

Wilson, Diana – I know it’s supposed to be, like, forever but I’m going to need the other half of that BFF necklace back.

Wisely, David – Remember that one time I thought you were waving to me but you were actually waving to the person BEHIND ME? Talk about awkward!

Witting, John – Smells like Jack Palance Teen Spirit.

Wong, Johnson – If your last name started with an “A” and not a “W” this note would be much better.

 

X

Xie, Angel – All my exes live in Texas. All Innocean’s X’s live right here.

 

Y

Year, Kevin – Remember what I said about Dip ‘n Dots stock. Buy low, sell high!

Yi, Diana – If you ever want to get the Buttercream Gang back together, you know where to find me.

Yoon, Neena – If your last name started with an “A” and not a “Y” this note would be much better.

York-Vargas, Chelsea – Remember that Ray Anthony concert we went to back in ’52? Boy, were doing the Hokey Pokey all over the place weren’t we?

Yoshihara, Tommy – I’m sorry about “Rocky 5”.

Yoshimura, Steve – You’re the best Steve I’ve ever known. And I grew up in the 90s, so I’ve known a lot of Steves.

Young, Scott – Don’t listen to Paul McCartney, YOU are the walrus. Coo coo ka choo!

Yuh, Karen – Your profound views on potato guns changed my life forever.

 

Z

Zayti, James – It’s a topsy turvy world, James. And maybe the problems of two people don’t amount to a hill of beans, but this is our hill! And these are our beans!

Zimmerman, Pat – My mom’s name is Pat, I wonder if you two have met?

Zuniga, Veronica – [insert Lord of the Rings ‘it’s over’ meme]

 

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong Still Thinks Shingy Is ‘One of the Best Humans’

Here is a very quick but somehow amusing entry in the What in the Hell Just Happened genre. Last night Tim Armstrong, CEO of the all-powerful America On Line or “AOL,” tweeted an image depicting the maybe-cover of a certain publication that reports on a certain industry.

Look closely at the words!!

Quite a few People in Journalism made a point of telling Armstrong that this cover is fake. He followed with a clarification:

We don’t know who produced the not-real cover and/or sent it to Armstrong (though it may have been the creation of one Virgil Texas of CAFE). And Shingy is close to being the very lowest hanging fruit at this point. But he still makes a whole hell of a lot of money doing whatever he does, and it sure looks like Armstrong fell for the joke.

Remember when The New Yorker profiled Shingy under the headline “Crystal Ball?” That was kind of fun.

It’s (Still) Hard Out There for an Aspiring Agency Intern

So here’s one we thought you guys would find interesting, given all the discussions about attracting talent and the lengths to which The Kids These Days will go to score an internship at no-name shops like, say, Droga5. (They had an IG hashtag.)

As the tipster who sent us this link put it, “Your readers would be better off knowing this is still(!) happening.”

Laura-Litman Maruscak is a veteran recruiter currently with Omnicom Health Group. Seems that her college-aged son wants to go into advertising and needs an internship, so she posted on the public Facebook group page NYC Ad Jobs and Networking, which is run in part by Saatchi & Saatchi L.A. ACD TJ Bennett.

The post was pretty straightforward.

interns

…and a contentious conversation ensued.

Many of the group’s 15,000-plus members found this all to be kind of amusing given that quite a few aspiring ad professionals use the page to look for job listings. The sentiments ranged from “I can’t believe this guy’s mom has to help him look for internships” to “Wow, you people are a bunch of judgmental dickheads.”

interns mark

interns 3

Bennett was hopeful.

interns tj

This event appeared in our inbox without any real context. But one could find a larger point in that advertising–like most if not all other industries–is hard to break into and still involves a good bit of that old nepotism despite all the talk of talent and diversity and aspirations toward assembling the perfect work force. (Media is quite obviously no different, but you knew that.)

Also, the comment threads on this blog are not the only places where people voice their often vociferous disagreements on the state of the business and related topics.

We realize that we will probably get blocked from this public group now. But we found the back and forth legitimately interesting! And internships are, if anything, more competitive now than at any point in the past.

(We had to pick this “interns” stock image bc do not even try to claim that dude on the left is under 30. He looks like Charlie Day, FFS.)

MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER Goes ‘Farm to Vagina’ to Promote Netflix’s Grace and Frankie

We’re not sure quite what to make of MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER’s spot promoting season two of Netflix’s original series Grace and Frankie with a reference to what some quick Googling reveals to be the show’s running yam lube joke (we’ve never seen it).

Ostensibly an ad for “farm to vagina” yam lube, the spot opens with a voiceover proclaiming “I am a thunderstorm after years of drought” as an old woman dances onscreen, followed by a whispered “yam lube.” The product in question is character Frankie Bergstein’s (a hippie art teacher played by Lily Tomlin) all natural lubricant and the spot finally nods to the character (and the show, via a hashtag) at its conclusion.

For fans of the show, it serves as a reminder that season two is now available for streaming (in a way they aren’t likely to forget). For viewers who haven’t seen the show, meanwhile, it’s certainly an attention-grabber…and sort of a bizarre point of entry. Not having seen the show, we can’t really say if the humor of the ad fits its tone, but we do see how it could inspire curious (in a “WTF was that?” kind of way) viewers to watch at least one episode or two.

And a fake ad for a fictional product from the show (we think?) is kind of a clever idea. It follows MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER’s recent effort for Method, which saw the agency staging some quite memorable messes.

Battery Dicks Around in New Phallic Mike’s Harder Campaign

Following a decision by the alcopop brand Mike’s to concentrate exclusively on digital advertisingindependent Los Angeles agency Battery launched a digital campaign introducing its new line of higher ABV offerings, Mike’s Harder, with some good old-fashioned juvenile penis humor.

In the 30-second “Speech,” for example, said schpiel is delivered by a blonde woman, who opens the spot with the suggestively-delivered, “Have things gotten soft? Ask your grocer about Mike’s Harder,” before almost dropping a can of the malt beverage and suggesting that it “might take two hands.” In the background, two men pitch a tent (literally). As the ad goes on, the woman continues the speech as one man wrestles with a watering hose and another sits on a pool noodle.

The phallic references, clearly, are not subtle, which is kind of the point. The sophomoric humor targets the kind of millenial men who were probably already cracking jokes about the Mike’s Hard name. Presumably the brand is assuming that the new line will appeal primarily to young men looking for a cheap buzz.

The exclusionary approach, however, may turn off others (and we’re pretty sure both guys and girls drink alcopop) from the main Mike’s Hard Lemonade brand. We’re also not sure we buy the assumption that women would automatically shy away from the higher ABV offering, or that there wasn’t a way to appeal to the stated core audience that has less potential to alienate other viewers. We’re certainly not averse to dick jokes, but the spots could have worked a little harder, haha, on the delivery.

At any rate, the approach extends to a series of 15-second spots, with clay pottery and a man kneading bread standing in for the phallic references. One of the spots makes reference to a certain highly-advertised drug, stating that you should seek medical attention if your Mike’s Harder lasts longer than four hours.

As with many questionable advertising ideas, the approach seems to have originated with the client.

“The client wants to own it,” Battery CCO Philip Khosid told Adweek. “So we came up with something to engage the young male audience and be irreverent but still be clever about it with a play on words.”

The campaign will run at least until the end of the summer, possibly longer. “It’s funny and bold,” Mike’s Harder creative director Kevin Brady said of the campaign, which he thinks has staying power, “and it made us laugh out loud.”

Recruiting Agency Has Some Very ‘Caliente’ Names for Creative Talent on Cinco de Mayo

Seems that Donald J. Trump isn’t the only person to use this odd holiday to declare, “I love Hispanics!

Today we received an email sent to a creative shop by a staffing agency that went all out with the Cinco de Mayo theme. Under the headline “Caliente Talent For Your Hiring Fiesta!” the org wrote a few pseudo-biographical gems in which it named each of its job candidates after a Mexican food or drink item.

Do any of these hot tamales pique your interest? (That line was in the email too.)

  • “Guacamole has been a Copywriter for 10 years…”
  • “Margarita is an Art Director/Designer with 5 years of experience…”
  • “Tostada is a Project Manager and Event Planner…”
  • “Salsa is a UI Designer…”
  • “Enchilada has been an Art Director…”
  • “Nacho is an experienced designer…”
  • “Ceviche is a Self-driven, and results oriented Digital Marketing Professional…”

You get the point, “Amigo.”

For the record, ceviche is not Mexican. The raw fish dish is rumored to have originated in Peru, and it is delicious.

We don’t find this email to be as blatantly #facepalm tone-deaf as some others we’ve seen in recent months, but we think you’ll agree that it is quite dumb.

Shocking New York Times Exposé Reveals That Some Droga5 Employees Dress ‘Ghetto Fabulous’

droga5 creatives

Holy aggregation engine, readers: We woke to news of a masterpiece of New York Timesery and simply HAD to share the very hottest of takes.

So, Droga5 is an agency filled with “admen (and women).” You wouldn’t know it from the staff shot above, but some of these men (and women, parentheses!!) happen to have very particular taste in clothing (read: hipster, and sorry but there’s no more accurate way to describe it). The Times thought this worthy of a full multimedia feature under the URL “Men’s Style.”

Opinions, people have them!

If you have to ask…

Dude undoubtedly got robbed.

Some of the more fascinating tidbits from this cultural snapshot, as it were:

  • David Droga promises reporter John Ortved that he doesn’t know which brands he’s wearing.
  • Junior art director Tobias Lindborg is a huge Adidas #brand advocate, but he doesn’t have any of the Kanye stuff, which might be because of its prohibitively high prices!
  • Art director Gage Young–who definitely looks more like ourselves and our colleagues than anyone else in the piece–argues that art directors dress better than copywriters. This would seem to make sense?
  • Andrew Sawyers is an analytics analyst who swears by beard oil. We second that, because it really does make a difference what with the chafing and the dryness and the unbrushability.
  • COO Susie Nam describes Prospect Heights as “where aging hipsters go to breed,” and she is absolutely correct. Please add Flatbush, Prospect Lefferts Gardens and Ditmas Park to the ever-expanding list … but not Windsor Terrace as that shit is way too expensive and it’s all retired cops. No, really. Go to Farrell’s on a Sunday afternoon and report back to us.

Account manager Chris Hill definitely makes the strongest impression, dressed as he is in a shirt reading “Ghetto” along with a (silver?) shark’s tooth necklace. In describing his fashion choices, he says:

“Ghetto fabulous. Health gothic. Unless I have a client meeting, then I turn it down a little bit.”

He then clarifies that “health gothic” does not mean that he’s a gym addict, simply that he often chooses athletically themed clothing.

Also, this exchange with creative director Devon Hong:

“You don’t seem like a guy trying to fly under the radar.

Oh, really? I try so hard.”

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL.

Some inevitable questions: how was this piece organized? How did the NYT choose which employees would be featured? Does Droga5 still believe it to be a good idea, generally speaking?

We should mention here that we read the NYT regularly because it is still a great paper.

On an unrelated side note, though, you might be less than surprised to learn that two older black women who work in the paper’s advertising department filed a lawsuit last week alleging discrimination. They claim that they were “repeatedly passed over for promotion by younger white employees despite their greater experience” because–according to alleged statements by executives–the ideal NYT employee is young, white and single.

Did we mention male? And does that sound maybe possibly somewhat familiar??

[Image via Droga5. File name: “davidSelectCreativeGroup.”]

‘Male Copywriter’ Lawson Clarke Has Some Advice for Aspiring Freelancers

In case any of our readers ever dream of breaking out of the agency rut by lighting a match and burning the whole thing down, we have to advise you not to do that. There are other, less violent ways to escape your frustration…like working as a full-time freelancer! “Male Copywriter” Lawson Clarke just took the plunge.

As you may know, Clarke launched the site–and the persona that went along with it–after getting canned by Arnold in 2009. In a subsequent interview, he said “I don’t look at it as a gimmick,” and he clearly doesn’t. Bob Garfield once gave it three and a half stars!

This week Clarke left his SVP/creative director job at Hill Holliday after more than three years and announced his newfound freelancer status with a semi-erotic video in which he sells his One Show award and attempts to beat up at least one child.

Clarke spoke to Tim Nudd earlier today about the project, his belly button piercing and his decision to poke fun at one Vladimir Putin. We asked him a few more questions about his advice for other creatives who want to escape from the shackles of the Big Bad Agency world.

Why did you leave Hill Holliday now? No, really.
I did the best work of my career at Hill Holliday and I’m leaving behind some very good friends. But, honestly, the reason I’m going back to freelance is simple: I just like the freelance lifestyle. It suits me well. I freelanced for about 5 years before coming Hill Holliday, and always knew I would go back to it eventually.

What’s the appeal of freelancing?
Is the freelance life for everyone? No, but for me it’s a good fit. The Malecopywriter reboot was just an attempt to make my life a little easier and get the phone to ring on its own. I mean, the irony is we as creatives spend our entire careers coming up with ways to get our clients noticed, but when it comes to our own brands most are content just to throw their portfolio on Cargo Collective and call it a day.

What would you say to others who are thinking of making similar moves?
My advice for anyone thinking about making the jump would be to make it easy on yourself and think of a way you can have clients come to you. That being said, this is going to be hilarious when I’m working as a barista a year from now.

That was a solid take, though we do have a theory that Clarke agreed to speak with us primarily so he could read all your comments.

Please feel free to mention his mustache.

Credits for the project:

Creative Director: Lawson Clarke
Art Director: Jude Senese
Web Design: Rafael Feliz
Producer: Whitney Bogosian
Director of Photography: Tim Mollen
Editor: Michael Reuter
Colorist: Chalie Coffou
Animator: Marcio Lima

WPP Announces That It Will (Eventually) Replace Sir Martin

As Reebok reminded us yesterday, nobody lives forever…even absurdly wealthy holding company CEOs. So it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that WPP has begun looking at internal and external candidates to succeed founder Martin Sorrell as CEO, Campaign reports.

“At some point we all leave our jobs,” WPP chairman Roberto Quarta told shareholders at the company’s 2015 Annual Report. “Whether, in Sir Martin’s case, that happens tomorrow, in one, two, three, four or five years, or even over a longer period, we have already begun to identify internal and external candidates who should be considered.”

“I and the other independent members of the board will continue to focus on this in 2016 and beyond,” he added.

So, while the long search for a successor has begun, you probably shouldn’t expect Sorrell to step down soon. Quarta also confirmed in the 2015 Annual Report that Sorrell would receive £62.8 million in compensation for 2015, up from £42.7 million the year before. We can’t imagine that kind of money is easy to walk away from.

The pseudo-announcement also follows this week’s news that WPP revenue rose in Q1 and beat expectations because, as Bloomberg put it yesterday, “clients spent more in the U.S., U.K. and western Europe” for their advertising needs. That story is also worth reading primarily for this amazing quote from a British analyst, emphasis ours:

“If you’re looking for banana skins there aren’t any here. Against uncertainty from the Brexit vote and a possible Trump presidency, WPP has posted a confident outlook and is gaining good momentum.”

This despite the fact that, as Sorrell himself puts it, “we’re not in the advertising business anymore.”

Someone has to fill the nobleman’s well-polished shoes, and we would like to float the name of Jordan Zimmerman for consideration. Why? Because we hear he’s very good at negotiating deals. One might even say he “makes the best deals.

Think about it, WPP.

Samsung and Its Agencies Deny Sponsoring Usher’s Dick Pics

Usher promoted the Samsung S7 with a series of “Steamin” pics from his Snapchat account howusnap, letting viewers know that the phone is “Shower Proofed.” This could really come in handy when sexting Buzz the Bee, and we’re kind of convinced there’s something going on between the two.

Samsung has worked with Usher in the past, but last night the company told Mashable that it had nothing to do with the stunt, thereby exonerating W+K, R/GA and its other agency partners.

For now we must regard the snaps–which include a mostly-covered dick pic–as an unofficial endorsement of the phone from the R&B star. (Like most things involving Snapchat, this doesn’t really make much sense.)
usher1
Some may question the judgement behind these shots, but this stunt is not the dumbest thing we’ve ever seen coming from the man directly responsible for Justin Bieber.

Still, you almost have to feel bad for his kids knowing that these images will now exist online somewhere permanently.

usher3
usher4

Your move, Apple?

Images: howusnap/Snapchat

DDB New York Celebrates Raw Animal Sex for the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival

DDB New York launched a campaign for the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival built around an online spot featuring a version of Lonely Island’s “I Just Had Sex” re-imagined as a paean to panda loving. (Is “Tainted Love” morphed into “Endangered Love” up next?)

The animated spot shows a post-coital panda quite pleased with himself, and for good reason…the survival of his species depends on it.

It doesn’t even matter that she kept looking at her watch, that she ate bamboo the whole time or that there were people staring.

The campaign also includes print ads, set to appearing in Vice and in the New York subway, which showcase various animal takes on the kama sutra such as the Gorilla Sutra, Sloth Sutra and Rhino Sutra.

Each of the ads features the tagline, “The only thing going extinct is the missionary position” while directing viewers to endangered.love. Proceeds from books, clothing, art and accessory sales on the site will go toward helping save endangered species.

We can’t quite read any of the print work, but the colors are nice!
endangered-love-2endangered-love-3endangered-love-1

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