Category: Uncategorized

The Season of Giving is upon us, and many view the National Day of Giving, or Giving Tuesday on December 3, as the kickoff for doing good and feeling good in your community and beyond.

For FIFTEEN’s latest Instagram Takeover next week, we’re using the day as a catalyst to visualize all kinds of acts of kindness. We asked the team to share what they do to give back to those in need, whether it’s tangible by supporting a specific cause, or something more decentralized, like sharing a smile and a thoughtful “how are you?” to someone who’s typically overlooked.

The posts will reflect answers as diverse as our crew, and the exercise itself was a way to internalize why we give to whom. Is it because of our interests? Is there some form of social injustice we want to see righted? Or are we chasing the high that comes from helping others?

Part of the beauty of giving is there’s no right or wrong answers, and there could be a combination of factors that motivate us. As an office, we’ve participated in Child & Family Service’s Adopt-A-Family program every holiday season, and it’s always a big hit. Not only do we get to relive our childhoods by checking out the toy aisles and holiday decorations, but there’s that warm fuzzy feeling that comes from literally making a family’s holiday, especially knowing they may not get anything else. We also sponsor many local nonprofits through our work, offering our expertise to help spread the word about the good works they’re doing. For us, using our skills and talents to help others is a win-win because it’s both fun and fulfilling.

Even though the National Day of Giving is a global movement, we would argue that the act of giving back can be done in microscopic ways, and the reverberations are endless. When’s the last time you’ve given a genuine handshake, let someone in your lane during the morning commute, or publicly recognized a coworker for a job well done? Chances are if you do it, not only will you be making a positive impact on their day, but you’ll feel good as well.

With studies showing volunteering and generosity can help with a myriad of physical and psychological ailments from high blood pressure to anxiety, we’re looking forward to showcasing our softer side on Instagram, and view it as an opportunity to explain why we find paying it forward meaningful. Hopefully, we can create a bridge for our followers to learn more, or inspire them to find their own ways to give back, no matter what size and shape they take.

Advertising is both an art and a science, so it makes sense that we use both our Pantone swatch books and PSY101 notes when creating campaigns. In fact, trying to understand how the human mind works has been part of advertising for so long that a 1957 book called “The Hidden Persuaders” chronicled how some agencies back then employed psychologists to help their creative teams come up with concepts that were more likely to resonate with target audiences (the TV show “Mad Men” touched on this as well in Season 4).

One of the psychological principles that are most commonly used in advertising is called the Rhyme as Reason Effect, and it’s the inspiration behind our latest Instagram (@agency15) #Chapter15, which is created by two members of our team whose names rhyme. They took those visual brainteasers we all did in school and created the answers based on common rhyming terms and phrases.

“Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is.” “Nothin’ says lovin’ like somethin’ from the oven.” “Do you Yahoo!?” These advertising slogans, though for different products, all have one thing in common: they’re easy to remember because they rhyme, and this is what the Rhyme as Reason Effect is all about. It’s a cognitive bias (a fancy phrase to describe how our brains perceive and process stimuli) for how we tend to remember and repeat words and phrases that rhyme. It’s why we can recall these slogans decades after they first appeared, certain song lyrics get stuck in our heads, and nursery rhymes have endured for generations.

Rhyming slogans are not only easier to remember, but scientific evidence suggests audiences have better impressions of the advertised product and its attributes as well. A 2013 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology found that when participants were presented with two sets of new advertising slogans—one rhyming and the other not—they rated the rhyming slogans as being more likable, persuasive and original. More importantly, though, they also rated the rhyming slogans as more trustworthy. That’s right, a statement was regarded as being more credible just because it rhymed. (No wonder advertising gets a bad rap.)

So while an apple a day may not necessarily keep the doctor away, take comfort in knowing that at least there’s a scientific reason why you remember that saying and how it seems perfectly reasonable…and be sure to check out our Instagram feed to try and solve our rhyming brainteasers!

If a society is reflected in its art, then Buffalo’s numerous examples of public art showcase our city’s thriving cultural scene. Outdoor murals seem to be popping up everywhere lately, and we feel richer for the chance to unexpectedly broaden our horizons as we go about our daily routines.

It was with these sentiments in mind that we approached the latest #Chapter15 on our Instagram account, entitled “Canvassing Buffalo.” The series features teaser posts on our feed that zoom in on a specific mural, then our Stories share each piece’s history and little-known facts, culminating in a final reveal on both our page and Stories.

We had a lot of fun with this, learning more about what inspires the featured artists and how they approach their creative process. What we came away with is a refreshed outlook on perspective. That it’s as individual as each artist and his or her work. Art is subjective, and variables ranging from childhood memories to countries of origin influence how we communicate.

When a client comes to us with a marketing challenge, we view it as our duty to examine it from every possible angle, both literally and figuratively. We know that different audiences will view the brand, product or service from varying perspectives, ultimately deciding upon whether they will embrace it or not. It’s our job to figure out what messages and methods will most effectively convey an idea.

Just like the artists and their local work featured in Chapter 15, we all have different approaches in offering clients solutions based on perspectives they might not have seen before. Bringing people together can sometimes separate them, and that’s okay. It means we’re pushing ourselves to look at something differently. Using our collective experiences to shape our communication, we offer a unique vantage point that touches upon a range of audiences and compels them to act. We’re not afraid to take a step back (or get a closer look) in order to offer clients a perspective they might not have seen before.

We’ll be the first to admit, clients mostly embrace our out-of-the-box thinking, but sometimes it scares them a little. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, depending on how you look at it.

Sometimes they’re essential.

We’re devoting the latest chapter on our Instagram account (@agency_15) to Office Hacks: little cheat codes that make our agency more productive and efficient.

Our favorite secrets have run the gamut from brilliant to banal: things like apps to wake you gently according to your body’s own sleep cycle, how to learn the name of any type of font you find online and even a surefire way to make sure your cream is perfectly mixed into your coffee—without using a spoon.

We made sure to cover a range of subjects to ensure office life runs smoothly because…well, we’re all busy. This is especially true in an agency where no two days are ever quite the same and you’re never 100 percent sure of what you’re walking into in the morning (one phone call has been known to change the whole course of a day).

At FIFTEEN, we’re not the largest agency in town, which is just fine with us. But being a mid-sized agency lucky enough to have some bigtime clients means we’ve learned to do more with less; to take those shortcuts and turn them into huge assets that ultimately benefit our clients.

Take, for example, our on-site photography studio. We can produce top quality photos and video, all without having to book other spaces or travel. Our kitchen, complete with a convection oven and ample natural light, is a huge timesaver for our food and restaurant clients, who love the fact we can prepare everything there and simply walk a few feet to the studio. And having photography, VFX and digital development departments all sitting in close proximity to one another is a huge timesaver when work needs to be completed quickly.

Being able to seamlessly switch gears, think on your feet and rise above a challenge is par for the course at FIFTEEN, but guess what: we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our team, powered by our passion for creativity and commitment to results, is always on the lookout for ways to work smarter and more efficiently. We know that in an industry constantly evolving, you have to be nimble and always ready to discover the newest, the best and the most. We owe that to our clients, and we owe it to ourselves. Because to resist change, to keep at a standstill, is to invite complacency—which for us is the death of creativity.

So in keeping with our mission to constantly seek ways to work smarter, faster and better, we hope you enjoy the office hacks we’re sharing this month, and maybe even learn a thing or two to help improve your work, life, or even work/life balance.

Do you have any office or agency hacks you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for our next Chapter 15 on Instagram…it combines two of our favorite things, art and the outdoors!

We’ve seen them all before: those behind the scenes videos that pull back the curtain on food ads: how those thick, foamy glasses of beer, dollops of fluffy whipped cream and pancakes smothered in rich syrup are all actually achieved through dish soap, shaving cream and motor oil. Even though the final product looks appetizing, the process is anything but.

When it comes to food photography and videography for our clients, however, we only use the real deal because…well, because we don’t believe in faking it. Having actual Milk for Life, Bison Dip, Ru’s Pierogi and Rich’s Plant Based Pizza Crusts play a starring role in our work presents unique logistical challenges for our team, and they’ve had to invent some ingenious methods for capturing that perfect shot, whether if it’s in our in-house studio, or on location.

For senior copywriter Richard Herbeck, who frequently assists in our photo shoots, planning is everything. Weeks before the shoot he’ll work with the photographer and culinarian to compile a carefully curated, chronological list of all the desired shots. “It’s the difference between making your day or making lots of extra food,” he said. “You need that insight into the products and recipes, along with understanding how long it will take to set up each shot, to ensure that everything is ready and looking its best precisely when it needs to.” One of his secrets is to prep as much as possible the night before by creating a tray for each recipe that contains all the bowls, plates, cooking elements, etc. needed for the dish. He’ll also measure dry ingredients and gather garnishes so the team is set for maximum efficiency during the shoot.

Art director Sarah Walczak maintains that a “clean as you go” regimen saves a lot of time during shots and makes them run smoother. “Nothing is worse than a cluttered set or having to readjust your shot because you didn’t take the two seconds to wipe down your area from the previous shot,” she said. Plus, having an organized set means the shots can go quickly, something that’s essential when working with real product. “Everything looks best right after it’s made so you can’t let the food sit for too long before shooting. Once the lettuce wilts or ice cream starts melting, it’s difficult to make them look ‘alive’ again.”

Heather Sargent knows the importance of capturing that perfect angle in order to make a food or dish look its best. Whether photographing for FIFTEEN or her own business, she makes sure she has the following objectives on her mind while getting down to work: make the viewer get hungry, and make the viewer get hungry for that product. To do that, she decides on what part of it is the most interesting or tasty-looking and focuses on that. “Is it the drip of ice cream down two scoops of plump frozen deliciousness onto its cone? Or maybe the way steam pours from the top of a bowl of fresh ramen? Deciding what ‘it’ is can make or break a tasty photograph,” she said.

Account manager Robert McGlenn puts his interpersonal skills to work when it comes to perhaps the most finicky food photography subject of all: ice cream cake. Notoriously known for melting under pressure, ice cream cake can be a temperamental subject, but Robert has learned a few tricks to help put it at ease. “The secret is to put a plate and knife in the freezer with the ice cream cake. This buys you a couple extra precious seconds to capture the perfect shot,” he said. Of course, in order to show we’re always willing to go the extra mile for our clients, Robert has another idea to help prolong an ice cream cake’s shelf life: “you could always do the shoot in the in the freezer and have all the time you need, just bring mittens.”

Needless to say, we haven’t yet put his theory to the test.

Did you find any of our team’s food photography tricks helpful? Be sure to check back next month, when we’ll expand our horizons and offer agency life hacks that are sure to help you work smarter.

It’s a question we get asked a lot…how did your agency come up with its name? Of course, after meeting one of our founding partners, Zack Schneider, that question is answered pretty quickly.

You see, Zack was born with only one hand. For his entire life he’s had to devise creative physical workarounds to the everyday tasks the rest of us take for granted. Tying, typing, and “here is the church, here is the steeple” have all been reinvented. It forged in Zack a uniquely resilient approach to problem-solving, and an underdog’s conviction to do more with less—if only to prove he could.

This mentality became the bedrock of the agency Zack launched with his longtime friend and partner, Greg Neundorfer, 10 years ago this month. They named it 15 Fingers because, at the time, all they had to start with were their combined 15 fingers (and a pretty snazzy orange couch…more about that later).

15 Fingers grew from the motivational spark of two people making a living by doing what they love to the 20+ person agency you see today, with capabilities including branding, media buying, public relations, website development, animation, video production, experiential and content marketing. Every year, 15 Fingers grew in terms of people, profits, clients, and accolades.

Then in 2016, 15 Fingers rebranded itself as FIFTEEN to better reflect the agency’s evolution and vision for how the human experience serves as the basis of advertising. Along with the new name came a spiffy new space at 599 Delaware in downtown Buffalo, website and social media identity on each of its platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn).

It would be easy to look back over the past 10 years and say they’ve made it. With current and former clients like Upstate Farms, Intense Milk, Bison Foods, Catholic Health, Rich Products, Ru’s Pierogi, Meals on Wheels for WNY, Launch NY, CleanSlate UV, Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps and Black Diamond, no one would fault Zack or Greg for resting on their laurels and saying FIFTEEN is “good enough.”

That’s not how Zack and Greg think, though, and that’s not how we’re approaching this milestone anniversary. Inspired by our humble origins and fueled by our innate ability to figure things out, we’re looking at the next 10 years with a simple mindset: to be different. To figure out solutions in ways others wouldn’t even have thought about.

We want to advance our clients’ goals, regardless of their challenges, by combining superior design and innovative technology to create unique experiences that foster audience engagement, interaction, and activation.

And that orange couch where everything started? Well, to celebrate another 10 years of throwing orthodoxy to the wind, we’ll soon have a new addition to the office that compliments the original. It’ll serve as a tangible reminder that as the agency and its capabilities have grown, we know it’s important to never forget the past. Because working harder, overcoming obstacles and not understanding the meaning of the word ‘no’ is all we’ve ever known. We’re not about to stop now.

In honor of International Women’s Day (and all of March designated as Women’s History Month), we’re looking at the early days of advertising, when agencies were a Boys’ Club and women were either secretaries or mail clerks…or were they?

Our research uncovered an interesting fact: one of the first ad agencies dating back to the late nineteenth century was started and run by a woman, and many agencies historically hired women as copywriters, believing their inherent ability to communicate made them obvious choices to sell products. So while women working in advertising wasn’t unheard of, they were definitely underrepresented and pigeonholed into specific jobs.

Take Mathilde C. Weil, who in 1880 started the M.C. Weil Agency in New York City. Only 10 years after emigrating from Germany, circumstances necessitated her career: she was a young widow needing an income and picked up writing freelance articles for newspapers and magazines to make ends meet. Weil soon realized selling ads was more lucrative and began acting as a broker between brands and publications before the term media director was invented. Until her death in 1903, Weil and her partners Mary Compton and Meta Volkman successfully ran M.C. Weil from the New York Times Building, with most of the agency’s billings coming from her proprietary medicine accounts.

By the early 1900s female copywriters were plentiful although their male bosses relegated them into writing for clients such as food, household supplies, and health and beauty products because…they were used only by other women. Determined to make do with the opportunities allotted to them, many women still managed to blaze a trail.

Helen Lansdowne is credited with being the first to use sex appeal in advertising in 1910 when she conceived the idea of an ad for Woodbury Facial Soap with the tagline, “A Skin You Love to Touch.” Her idea was so successful it led to a 1,000 percent increase in product sales in eight years. Lansdowne married her colleague, Stanley Resor, and the two successfully ran the behemoth J. Walter Thompson agency with Landsdowne in charge of JWT’s all-female Women’s Editorial Department, which was the first shop to use customer and celebrity testimonials in advertising. By 1918 the department was responsible for half of the agency’s billings.

Post-WWII and beyond, women were finally working on ads for brands other than mayonnaise, floor wax, and lipstick. “Trust the Midas Touch,” Alka Seltzer’s “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz” and Avis’ “We Try Harder” campaigns were all created by women, showing both the industry’s and clients’ (relative) diversity and acceptance of women at the helm.

Jane Maas, who is said to be the inspiration for the Peggy Olson character on TV’s “Mad Men,” began her career in 1964 as a junior copywriter; 12 years later she was an SVP and Creative Director; five years after that she became the first woman to run an NYC-based agency she didn’t originate. Credited with saving New York City, she led the “I (heart) NY” campaign aimed at increasing tourism. And did it ever…it’s still a staple on souvenir T-shirts and coffee mugs. She was also a prolific author, co-penning the iconic “How to Advertise,” a tome that’s been translated into 17 languages and David Olgivy said was “worth its weight in gold.” Maas was still consulting and giving speaking engagements well into her 80s; she passed away last November at the age of 86.

Today women are well represented in different agency positions that were previously dominated by men; in fact, women now account for over half of agency positions, but national research shows that only 11 percent of agency Creative Directors are women. Locally, we know of two (including our very own Rachel Spence!), but consider this: according to the 3 Percent Movement, there are only three market categories where men dominate purchases. So why aren’t women better represented within creative leadership when they possess such substantial buying power? It’s a question that should have been answered decades ago, but as women pioneers repeatedly shatter glass ceilings, it’s up to all of us to ensure these conversations lead to more changes.

“We put our lives in the hands of complete strangers every single day and we don’t even think about it,” says Rich Herbeck, FIFTEEN copywriter and the screenwriter/producer of the feature film, Emelie. “The chef making your food, the dude driving your Uber, your kid’s teacher. You get the wrong kind of person in that position and they can wreak a lot of havoc.”

Emelie is the story of an evil babysitter versus the three adorable children she’s left alone with. “Sort of a very dark Home Alone,” as Herbeck describes it. A Buffalo native, Herbeck worked closely with the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission to bring the production home. Emelie was shot entirely here in Western New York, employed dozens of locals and helped put Buffalo on the map as a production destination. “That’s what I take the most pride in.”

The disturbing thriller premiered at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival and was selected for a number of prestigious fests all around the world. It gained international theatrical distribution in 2016 and is digitally available everywhere. Herbeck has twelve years of experience as a screenwriter in Los Angeles and has been in the creative inner circle for projects including Lost, Cloverfield and The Cabin in the Woods. Outside the walls of FIFTEEN, Herbeck is actively working on new film, television and podcasting projects and hopes to produce them here in his hometown.

If you follow us here at FIFTEEN, you may have noticed this symbol plastered about. It’s on our site, our business cards, and dominates the windows of the conference room in our office.

But what on Todd’s green turf does it mean? Cue Jeopardy music…

Feeling puzzled? Well there you have it! The symbol is, in fact, a PUZZLE! It’s called a Complete K6 Graph, a mathematical riddle that first shows up in the 13th Century texts of Catalan logician Ramon Llull (who apparently had as much time on his hands as he does Ls in his name).

The graph has (get this) FIFTEEN solutions; 15 distinct combinations of three straight lines that connect all six points.

The puzzle is known as The Mystic Rose. Ooooh….

So why has FIFTEEN adopted The Mystic Rose as our symbolic steward? Well, we’re all about connections. Making connections. Connecting dots. Everything is connected and all that. The Rose represents the ways in which we connect our unique visions and talents to develop creative problem-solving campaigns for our clients—and connect passions to results.

Plus, you know, the 15 solutions.

Think you have the brain juice to dance with the likes of Ramon Llull? We’ve turned The Mystic Rose into a game! Click on dots, two at a time, to create lines between them, and see if you can crack the 15 unique ways to connect all six dots with three lines!

Have fun, and consider: What do you connect with?