Klues for Success

(blog post for Tuesday, June 18th)

Annie Leibovitz’s collaboration with Disney takes an already famous brand and uses iconic imagery to reinvigorate its power. Leibovitz shot a series of photos using celebrities as certain Disney characters, combining celebrity influence with adored characters to connect with all audiences. Disney, like Coke and many other beloved brands, will always have devoted followers but still needs to maintain its presence in the entertainment industry. Disney and Leibovitz created a project that states Disney’s relevance by utilizing its traditions; by combining popular celebrities and legendary characters, the photos capitalize on the nostalgic value of the stories while adding a touch of novelty to the tales. It’s an important lesson in branding and the creativity that is required to keep your client pertinent, without compromising brand values.

I have to stop at this point and make an admission: I love attending seminars and forums, and find many of them interesting and useful, but sometimes I feel the message goes over my head. I think some of the lectures are more helpful for those already in the industry; but as a student, I’m still trying to build a basic skill set. I honestly don’t know much about brand-building and keeping my client transparent because I don’t have a brand or a client. I need advice and information about making that leap from college to the real world; I want to know what it is that can help set me apart from thousands of other PR specialists that will be applying for the same position.

Talking to Jack Klues was probably my highlight of the day, because it was a nice change of pace from the lectures. Being able to talk one-on-one with an established professional afforded us insights that we would’ve have been able to get from seminars or master classes. When he told us that we students should be teaching the execs a thing or two about new trends in advertising, I think it gave us all a little boost of confidence. We’re in that weird transition from young adult/student to graduate/professional, and we have to be reminded that we have more knowledge and insight than we give ourselves credit for.