We sat down with our newest Account Coordinator, Morgan Staral, to introduce her to the world, per our world famous interviews. This interview was unique because we’ve been warming up to Morgan for months through her internship, and by now we have a decent understanding of how embarrassed we can make her. She politely obliged, after her billable work concluded, and we chuckled through topics ranging from: small towns, local deities and dismemberment. So without further adieu, our freshest devotee:
The first thing I have written down: Rumor has it that you hate blondes. Tell me about that.
{Laughs} Let me think about this…
You’re not going to write everything I say right? {Laughs} Well most people say that brunettes….I don’t know. People say blondes have more fun. Okay so you wanted to be brunette to disprove–
I wanted to be rebellious. Towards the blondes? You wanted to be a rebellious blonde?
No. I wanted to be a rebellious brunette! You wrote down you’re kind of from Aledo–
… For sure from Aledo. {Laughs} My apologies, {laughs}. What led you to stick around DFW after you graduated high school? Did you visit Fort Worth a lot?
Mainly because I love my family. I love Fort Worth too, but I really didn’t want to be out of my comfort zone at the time. And on the weekends yes, I’d visit Fort Worth, but on the weekdays I was busy being an athletic trainer. Any short stories?
As an athletic trainer, you have to keep your stuff together. So when people get hurt, you have to try to not freak out. But you know how I am with medical things– You run?
Yeah I run. {Laughs} So having to run to the injured player…was always horrifying. This one time a player’s fingers were stuck in another guy’s face-mask. We had to cut the face-mask off while his fingers were still stuck. That’s when I knew my training career needed to come to an end…
And we ran with scissors. Everything your mom told you not to do. {we laugh} So how did you hear about Schaefer?
Well my best friend Katie is the daughter of Ken’s good friend. One time we were at an airport in Nashville and Ken was actually there. She ended up sitting next to him on the plane and we had no idea what the future held, but she introduced us. Then when I was looking to work at an ad agency, Katie suggested looking at Schaefer (even though I had my heart set on leaving Fort Worth) and well the rest is history…
Then you know the art show thing the graphic designers do? Oh yeah the FW Creative Co-op Gauntlet?
I saw Ken and I was like, “BOW DOWN he’s a god!!” (knowing that shortly I would be an intern at Schaefer). All my friends started laughing and geeking out with me because even in graphic design, he’s a big deal! {Laughs} Even if it doesn’t make it to the interview, he’s gonna hear about that.
2015 was a year in which BRIT grew both inward and outward.The Botanical Research Institute of Texas deepened its roots by digging into its own resources. An eleven-month survey of the herbarium unlocked the secrets of their plant collection, uncovering the true size and scope of the herbarium while pointing to research opportunities under our own roof. At the same time, they brought on a new executive director, Ed Schneider, to lead the organization into the next chapter of its story within our community.
Schaefer developed the 2015 BRIT Annual Report as a modern field guide of sorts. The piece brings together the institution’s vast scientific knowledge, the beauty of its subject matter and the community of people who love BRIT. On the cover we used a natural, craft paper similar to sturdy field guides or journals, but used a gold foil illustration to contrast the more rustic look with something more modern and sophisticated.
We included four, nineteenth century etchings, printed on translucent vellum, to highlight the impressive collections housed within the walls of BRITs office. Not many people know that BRIT is home to one of the largest herbaria in the in the United States with over a million specimens. They also have an impressive collection of original etchings, paintings and books dating back to the 1700’s. We felt these collections presented a new side of BRIT and positioned them right alongside the incredible museum neighbors in Fort Worth’s cultural district.
We also worked with photographer Gary Logan to capture portraits of the individuals who played big roles in this past year’s success. The portraits brought faces to the institution and broke down any perception of BRIT being solely focused on plants. They are truly made up of great people with tremendous passion for what they do and the impact of their pursuit goes beyond what most of us know.
We are really pleased with the end result and proud to partner with BRIT for a second year in a row.
At our agency, each project is touched by an invisible hand who sources and manages the right partners to make our projects a success. A getter of goods. An accumulator of accoutrements. A manager of men. And Production. Mostly Production.
We met our newest, Mrs. Jackie Medling, coming from 8 years of Production and traffic management in Dallas. I prepped her that we like to light-heartingly interview our new folks. And that I MAY replace spicy choice selections with the word ‘Bubblegum.’ So with no more delays, here is that interaction:
Schaefer: So you’ve spent some time in Dallas? Is that correct? Tell us about your favorite place. As in, Jackie’s Guide to Dallas?
JM: If there was a one night or one day, I would suggest either going to the Bishop Arts area; there’s lot of cool funky places and good restaurants and cool book shops and coffee shops. So there or lower Greenville. They’ve redone Greenville recently. Do you have anything against Upper Green..ville?
I mean I wouldn’t go above Mockingbird on Greenville. You can but it gets into suburbs and neighborhoods and stuff. I like to stay below certain streets. Hahahah. Speaking of mockingbirds and then Blackbirds. I hear you know every Beatles lyric?
Almost yeah, yeah. Do you have a favorite or one that you’ve always been like: “whats that about?”
Favorite? Because I’m a little sentimental I like: “In my Life.” That’s one of the songs I love the most. Because It reminds me of my dad and there’s a line that says: “In my life, I love you more.” Also the line: “Yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog’s eyes.” I’ve always thought: whats up with that? Its weird and creepy. Weird and creepy, makes me think of weird and sleepy. And we’ve kind of touched on it but, how important is sleep to you?
Its uh-hella important. I mean…very important… Bubblegum important?
You know, I like to go to bed around 9. I would like to wake up around 9. I can nap on command… Last question I have written is: How did you hear about Schaefer?
So I lived two streets away [pointing] Me and my husband used to walk our dogs and I used to always walk by Frank Kent and I always looked at the office and thought: A. That’s such a cool building and B. I wonder if they are big enough to, you know hire out. And also you guys make sick-cool work.
So when the position came up, I thought : “That would be a dream job. No… Bubblegum.” I’ve got to get in there. Hahaha So pretty much, from off the street. The word on the street haha.
Yeah pretty much. Any final thoughts for your adoring fans?
Ummm… Tip your Bartenders.
Who doesn’t love a neighbor that turns into a favorite client? That’s how we feel about the City of Hurst, who have been our clients for more than 5 years. In that time we’ve seen Hurst change and grow, and we’re not just talking about 121. The hardworking folks that work in City Hall have been injecting Hurst with a much needed dose of positive energy and ‘let’s do this!’ attitude.
Hurst’s expansion and growth has led to a new transition process for the community. As more DFW-ites move to Hurst, the city needed to engage and inform new residents on local resources, programs and activities. This is where we came in.
The Hurst Welcome Packet features a welcome mat (we thought it was clever) and a pair of red shoes. The diecut shoes serve as the folder’s latch, placing them on top of the welcome mat. Inside, the new resident would find detailed information on all the need-to-knows of Hurst as well as a welcome letter from the mayor.
The city won a first place TAMI Award (Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers) for the packet, and we couldn’t be more proud.
Check out that happy dance!
Within the packet, new residents also find the quarterly “Where We Live” magazine and a trifold Neighborhood Services brochure. Each of these pieces were refreshed during the past few years to more accurately reflect the colorful and light personality of Hurst.
Sealing Hurst’s status as a city ahead of the curve, custom SnapChat geofilters were developed for favorite hot spots and city events. According to SnapChat’s official website, they receive thousands of geofilter submissions daily. Of those, the Heritage Village Park graphic was selected as an outstanding submission!
We’re proud to partner with a client who makes a lasting impact on their communities. And it’s not too shabby that we think they’re great people too.
On the heels of our spring campaign launch, that introduced Gus, the baby gorilla to the world, we are proud to showcase our new TV spot for the Fort Worth Zoo. This spot is a 30 second summary highlighting the fun, educational and majestic moments that happen everyday at the zoo. With over 400 different species of animals, 15 different exhibits and attractions, it’s an experience that changes with every visit.
Over two days, we filmed all-new footage throughout the zoo and captured special moments from over 15 different exhibits and attractions including everyone’s favorite, baby Gus.
Projects like this one allow us to immerse ourselves in our client’s world as well as the experience of their customers. We learn as we explore and we look for unique ways to tell a story that people can relate to. Its a challenge that we embrace and let’s be honest, we have a lot of fun with it too.
Explore these interactive 360 videos/photos by clicking on the image and dragging around. Its a unique perspective of what its like on set.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Beastro, the Fort Worth Zoo’s annual music and tasting event that supports local and international wildlife conservation and education efforts. Within a few weeks of this year’s campaign going live, Fort Worth’s wild side responded with record breaking ticket sales and a fastest ever, sold out VIP offering.
The event features the finest area restaurants stationed throughout the Zoo, serving sample appetizers, entrees and desserts. In addition to the delectable cuisine, the event features open bars throughout the park and live music entertainment. Several animal exhibits remain open until sunset. This year’s entertainment features the local talents of: Emerald City, The Project and Live 80.
The event sold out, for the first time ever, and we had to stop the ad campaign early. The night was a success from ticket sales, but our team also successfully enjoyed the feast with the beasts.
Addy Kryger came to us from the magical land of Kansas, as a budding senior at TCU, eager to get her hands on account coordination, social media and marketing. And we gave her a run for her money. As an intern, she was super driven, extremely resourceful, brought homemade cupcakes to a set (on her off-day), rocked with us at the Battle of the B®ands and ultimately fought her way into our hearts. She just finished her Bachelor of Science in Strategic Communication this May, and we couldn’t be more ready to bring her on. We scored 11 Golds at this year’s AAF awards, but none beat this Addy! And before we lose your attention, here are some questions she answered:
Schaefer: So Addy, you opted out of the gap year right after college? What gives?
AK: Yes. I got back as quick as I could.
Schaefer: What did you do on your vacation?
AK: I had two weeks in-between my internship and starting full time. The first week, I went apartment hunting, found an apartment, signed a lease, moved out of a house and into a two-bedroom apartment… on the fifth floor. I have one roommate who moves in in July. So that was a lot of fun. And the second week I went home to Kansas City.
Schaefer: Other than being from Kansas City and now living on the fifth floor, what should we know about you?
AK: That’s a good question. I like to have fun. I’m a fun person–
Schaefer: Like Spongebob fun?
AK: Like Amanda Bynes fun. [pause for laughter] But I’m also a hard worker– I get my work done and then it’s fun time. Hahahaha!
Schaefer: So a twerker?
AK: Definitely a twerker, hahaha!
Schaefer: Okay, if you could be a food, what food would you be?
AK: If people were going to eat me… My mind immediately jumps to cake.
Schaefer: We talkin’ fun-fetti or…
AK: I’m thinking chocolate…Like decadent..
So there you have it folks! She can’t escape baked goods and she’s certainly not in Kansas anymore. Drop her a line and introduce yourself!
Everyone loves babies. I mean, everyone with a soul loves babies. And that’s why when there is a new baby at the Fort Worth Zoo, we all get a little excited. So when the Fort Worth Zoo told us, months in advance, that they were expecting the birth of a western lowland gorilla, we began developing a launch plan to make the announcement. In our initial phases of planning, we identified key challenges that the campaign would need to overcome in order to be effective. The first was that baby gorillas basically mirror a human child in terms of growth and development. This means that for the first few months, the zoo’s newest star, Gus, was going to spend most of his time sleeping and never be more than a few inches from the arms of his mother, Gracie. And, like most moms, Gracie is a wee bit protective. In spite of the infant gorilla not being mobile or very active at all for that matter, we had to find a way to get people excited about coming to see Gus.
Which leads to the second challenge – how do you photograph a tiny black fur ball held closely in the clutches of his mom? Add in the fact that parents, Gracie and Elmo and new baby Gus, live in a secure designed area, plus wanting to minimize any disruptions to their normal activities, you don’t exactly have an Olan Mills photo studio in which to capture that “perfect” baby picture.
But usually, it’s the challenges that lead you to your solution. And this was no different. Think about it, what does every new parent do? Your Facebook feed is proof, that every new parent posts every single progress update. “Here’s junior sleeping in is blue onesie. Now, here’s junior sleeping in his yellow one that Aunt Marge from Des Moines bought him. Oh, wait, now his eyes are open, oh wait, never mind.” You get the idea. So we decided to build the campaign around the experiences that every parent wants to show their child doing. Eating. Playing. Sleeping. Riding.
Using the zoo’s photography documenting Gus and Gracie’s relationship, we created an “interactive” campaign that gives Zoo goers a reason to come back frequently over the coming months. Visit The Fort Worth Zoo today because as we all know, they only stay babies for just a little while.
Did you know that right here in Tarrant County we have one of the premier Fire Service Training Facilities in the Southwest, an elite culinary kitchen experience and a world class dance program? We do. Across 7 campus’, Tarrant County College offers these unbelievable programs and facilities to put success within reach for over 50,000 students.
Shot on location, in TCC’s real “classrooms”, we paired actual TCC students with the obstacles they’ve faced on their journey to higher education and showcased how TCC’s diverse and unique programs are putting success within their reach. For the thousands of potential students facing their own obstacles; TCC has a path for you and one question to ask. What’s stopping you?
Last year, we changed the Addys with a new venue and format. How’d we top that this year? Rock & Roll.
We launched our “Battle of the B®ands” concept and invited agencies to submit their work to compete on the big stage where the winners advance and the losers stay home.
Gig posters announced this year’s competition, submissions were collected, the historic Ridglea Theater was booked and the rest was advertising rock & roll history. Fans received pre-show invites packed with tickets & stickers and event lanyards were given at the door. Trust Printshop printed merch on-site and The Swags played us through the night, backed by technicolor elephants and eyeballs.
The brands battled, awards were given and everyone left with a CD-sized reminder of what actually happened. For those who couldn’t make it or for those who want to re-live it, here’s the night’s house playlist. Until next year, keep on rockin’ in the free world.
