Apartment Review
I have no place to vent my frustrations…so I’ll do it here.
James Clow,
Actor from White Plains
470 Convent Ave. Apartment 54
New York, New York 10031
I was a tenant here for 6 months in 2014, and although the pictures looked pretty, many of the issues stem from the man renting the apartment. I just moved out, so this review is somewhat a venting of my frustrations. I didn’t stand up for myself as much as I should have living here. I pray that you won’t have to deal with the same.
Let me start by presenting the facts —
1) Guests are not allowed to stay over. He charged me $400 for a guest to stay over a week.
2) He told me the apartment was fully furnished which included use of the toiletries and bathroom supplies. He then took back his offer and, consequently, deducted $400 from my deposit.
3) Shoes were not to be placed in the hallway, items were not to be moved around, and I was scolded for Skyping in the living room. I would have gladly went to my room if there were stable internet connection from the bedrooms.
4) My deposit check was received 30 days after leaving, and $400 was deducted for him having to “mop the floors” and “throw away boxes”.
5) It seems once you’re on his bad side, you’re on it forever. I cleaned the apartment spot-free as I left, but he said he hired a cleaning service any way. The decision seemed based off spite than necessity.
—
Overall, the experience was very stressful and dramatic. All the rental agreements were done verbally, so I felt a bit duped for getting nothing in writing besides text messages.
If you choose to live here, get things in writing via email. Sign a contract. Take pictures and immediately report in writing any damages or things that can be used against you in the future. You’re always told to do these things, but living here, you should definitely go the extra mile. It’s a shady world out there, and you’re best covering your own butt than playing the “New York Housing” game.
James is a snake in the housing market, and you should treat him as such. Don’t be fooled through first impressions because his actions are a better reflection of his true character.
I’d highly recommend living someplace else place in the area. Washington Heights is very affordable for even ~$200 cheaper. Most places are newly renovated. Because Upper Manhattan is geographically more narrow, most places you’ll live in are highly accessible by many subway lines.
Best of luck in the housing search, and take my review for what you will. It would have been an injustice of me to keep quiet.
Long, beautiful Asian hair
Living in Seattle, I was exposed to so much influence from Asian media. Asian everything all over the place. I think it had to do with my circle of friends as well, but for the past two years, I’ve really lived outside this sphere and feel disconnected.
Seeing a commercial like this really brings me back. It’s a bit outrageous, but I like it. It tells a fun story through film, which I’m discovering will always be a medium needed in advertising. Whoever says TV is dead doesn’t realize how these videos are still so proliferated through online channels.
Back to the spot. The storyline is cheesy but well directed. It’s quintessentially like an Asian-Drama that you just can’t help but enjoy. Overall, I imagine the briefing to be about ‘how do we make this hair care product tie into this divorce rate insight’. Writers go crazy, and this is the result. Good times.
The new guy at Pereira & O’Dell NY
Back from the hiatus of blogging. Since my last entry, I’ve started interning at Pereira & O’Dell in New York. First agency experience here in the Big Apple, and I have to admit that it’s more akin to my time at T.D. Wang than anything. My observations are that the hours are late and very high stress. A far contrast from what I experienced at Muhtayzik. It’s good experience regardless, so we’ll see how far this takes me.
Also getting the chance to work on sports related clients all the time. Who’d a thunk it? Paul Boupha? Haha. Any way, back to my ad world observations.
This spot made some headlines a few days back, and I thought it was funny enough to share. It rides on the fame of goat videos. I suppose it’s an easy route to take when developing creative. But if it works, it works. Again, always produce something fun and worth watching.
Another spot is this one for VW. I imagine the brief was to really exemplify their USP. Why not show the scenario played out in a situation you wouldn’t want their USP. Very smart execution even if it is a stunt. I’ve begun to understand that stuntvertising isn’t meant for the people actually experiencing it in the moment (because they’re likely actors any way) but more for the viral video content it ends up being when posted online. At any rate, I’m a fan of this little spot.
Fun, clever ambient stoplight
Another fun execution from a basic insight. How do you get people to stop in their tracks? Entertain them. How do you entertain them? By unexpectedly remixing things they see every day and take for granted. A valuable lesson going forth in thinking up my own executions.
Honey Maid Made Well
This Honey Maid campaign hits all the right notes. Most families in America are different. Times are changing and the traditional family is increasingly harder to come by. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not. The ever-changing idea of what makes up a family does not detract from what the essence of a family provides. Love, safety, security, support. This is what the snack brand wants to convey in its messaging.
I think they did it superbly with their ‘wholesome’ angle. It ties in with a USP for the cracker itself and also stands for something more societal.
Although some, namely teachers I’ve come across in school, would argue, “It’s just a graham cracker. The messaging can’t be so grand. It doesn’t fit.” They would argue how a simple product could tie in with such a deep and elevated message. They would argue that it wouldn’t work.
I believe in the exact opposite. I would argue that this campaign is brilliant. They’ve managed to take a simple snack and elevate it to something that stands for so much more. You’re not just eating a cracker, you’re consuming the idea of what this brand believes in. It differentiates them from its competitors and gives them a voice you’re proud to listen to.
Simple, funny prints
Winning formula: dogs and simplicity.
I think this print is amazing and requires very little explanation. Feels European?
The lesson of the day is to just think of everything as if you’re telling a joke. There always needs to be a punchline. There always needs to be a twist. Explain this ad as if you were delivering a funny line when talking to a friend.
…of course, that’s all well and good. But easier said than done. Heh heh.
The Glory of Ambient
I like ambient. Albeit it can be expensive as ffff. It immerses you in the advertising, and you’re given a more likely reason to talk about it with friends. The coolest thing I’ve seen lately is the kinetic football field installed in Rio’s favelas.
In conjunction with solar panels, the field itself was installed with tiles underneath the astroturf that lit floodlights on the field at night. This allowed people to continue playing football so long as there were people out wanting to play. Super cool and super beneficial to the people.
Another simpler, and essentially, more clever ambient execution comes from a party supply store in Toronto.
Although I admit the execution is tiny and one-off, it’s fun and speaks true to the heart of the message. Plus, inexpensive to pull off.
Triple Whammy Day
Three pieces in the ad world worth discussing today. Two of which are really gay. Oh, San Francisco.
Let’s begin with DiGiorno’s misguided tweeting and almost immediate beg for forgiveness. Recently, they posted this:
#WhyIStayed is a hashtag revolving around the topic of domestic abuse. Without the proper context, DiGiorno’s social media team saw that it was trending and posted the above without doing their research. They instantaneously received quite a bit of backlash. Within minutes, they took down their tweet and issued this apology:
I’ve been in my fair share of PR disasters before. They don’t feel good. Even though they done f’d up big time, the person at fault did the right thing in personally replying to every single complaint. It’s the hard thing to do, but in the end, it’s the best thing the company could have done. Just suck it up, and admit to your failures. We’re all human. Just make sure it never happens again. I applaud them on how they’re riding out the shit storm.
Gotta give a nod to Muhtayzik Hoffer for this pretty funny spot. Simple situation spun on its head. It’s essentially a copy-driven piece which makes me like it even more. Kudos to Mike Gallucci here for his unmistakably weird sense of humor. Even though I barely knew the guy.
I don’t know why I discovered this so late. It rings similar to the Gay or Nay microsite I did earlier this year. Although it’s done on a much simpler and grander scale. The message is very simple and the execution didn’t take much effort at all. No matter what you look like on the outside, the inside is the same. Beautifully intricate message delivered in a very easy and digestible way. I love it.
Some Lyrics are Brilliant
I’m very late to the Sam Smith fan-train, but I’ve been obsessing over his album lately. In particular, ‘Stay With Me’ has gotten more eerily beautiful the more I listen to it. At first, I liked the song for its melody and the singing. When I actually listened to the lyrics, I realized just how concise and masterful the writing was. I just had to blog about it. So let’s dissect.
The lyrics are simple. Quick. He tells so much of a story with so little words. The principles of getting in as fast as possible and getting out even faster applies here. We open on a man convincing a woman not to leave. She isn’t his lover. She’s a fling, but he needs her to stay because of his inconsolable heartbreak.
I love how song lyrics are conversational. I love how they tell you something directly, yet at the same time, not explicitly. I love even more how it taps into your emotions regardless if you’ve been in the same situation or not. In effect, my realization today is that music makes for good copywriting. Sam Smith told a wonderfully crafted story. I want to, one day, be able to do the same.
And then after I’ve mastered that, I’ll work on sounding as good as him.
—
[Verse 1:]
Guess it’s true, I’m not good at a one-night stand
But I still need love ’cause I’m just a man
These nights never seem to go to plan
I don’t want you to leave, will you hold my hand?
[Chorus:]
Oh, won’t you stay with me?
‘Cause you’re all I need
This ain’t love, it’s clear to see
But darling, stay with me
[Verse 2:]
Why am I so emotional?
No, it’s not a good look, gain some self-control
And deep down I know this never works
But you can lay with me so it doesn’t hurt
[Chorus 3x]
The Gisele Spot
Another popular spot that’s been poppin’ up all over the place. Gotta hand it to Droga5 for delivering another great spot to accompany their wonderful tagline: I will what I want.
Take a supermodel known for being high-end, luxurious, and feminine. Throw her in an environment doing the complete opposite. Show her in a powerful, sweaty, down-to-earth activity that also embodies sports for the brand. For good measure, let’s include people’s tweets that both rant and rave about what she’s doing. Film it beautifully. Get people emotional about it. Nibble on the human truth that everyone gets bullied, but as long as you put your heart to it, you can do damn well whatever you please.
Thus the thought process behind this spot. Essentially, the reasons why this is another home run for Under Armor.
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