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Q&A - Frank O'Brien, Founder of Conversation (The Pitch)
In this week's episode of The Pitch, Frank O'Brien, Founder of Conversation, introduces popchips to his viral campaign, "The Year of Pop." O'Brien talks with AMCtv.com about what drew him to advertising and what he thinks the next game-changing idea in the business will be.
Q: Does having a camera crew around affect the team's creative process?
A: There were some days we ended up working a lot longer than usual, because we had to stop and shoot, or mic ourselves up. But as far as our process goes, we didn't even notice they were there. It was just business as usual.
Q: During the popchips pitch, you had some technical difficulties, but recovered quickly. What's the biggest thing you've had go awry in a pitch?
A: Technical difficulties are always the biggest problem. We did have a technical issue one time that lasted about 30 minutes. What we ended up doing was go through our capabilities with the client...so the client didn't even really notice. We've fairly good at problem solving, we just got lucky that we had an hour allocated that time.
Q: What made you decide to start Conversation?
Continue reading "Q&A - Frank O'Brien, Founder of Conversation (The Pitch)" »
Q&A - David Oakley, Co-Founder / Creative Director of BooneOakley (The Pitch)
In Episode 4 of The Pitch, David Oakley, Co-Founder / Creative Director of BooneOakley, shows popchips the way to "Make Life Pop." Oakley speaks with AMCtv.com
about overcoming the hospitalization of BooneOakley's strategic mastermind, and the craziest stunt he's pulled to win an account.
Q: What made you decide to have BooneOakley appear on The Pitch?
A: There's this country song by Lee Ann Womack called "I Hope You Dance." I love the lyrics: "And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance." It's about realizing that life is short and you should live it to the fullest. What's the worse thing that could happen? We lose in front of millions of people? So what? To borrow a phrase from my teenage kids: YOLO. You Only Live Once. [Laughs] I love that! The chance to be on the show was an opportunity that no one at our agency had ever experienced. It was like this crazy family vacation that everyone went on...
Q: Hopefully without anything like Chevy Chase driving a station wagon off a cliff...
A: Right. But it was still a little scary at times. It was a little bumpy. But it was a thrilling ride that no one at BooneOakley will ever forget. No matter how hard they try. [Laughs]
Q: During the shoot, your Marketing Director, Greg Johnson, had surgery. How's he doing?
Continue reading "Q&A - David Oakley, Co-Founder / Creative Director of BooneOakley (The Pitch)" »
The Pitch Episode 4, "popchips: Conversation & BooneOakley" - Online Extras
In the Episode 4 of The Pitch, two ad agencies -- Conversation and BooneOakley -- compete to win the business of popchips. Want to learn more about the episode? Check out the info below:
• Video: popchips execs share why they picked the agency they did
• Poll: Who do you think should have won?
• Photos: Artwork from both agency's pitches
• An open thread to discuss tonight's episode of The Pitch
Also worth your attention:
• AMC Newsletter: The latest news on The Pitch
Poll - Who Should've Won in The Pitch Episode 4?
In Episode 4 The Pitch, popchips has to choose between Conversation ("The Year of Pop") and BooneOakley ("Make Life Pop"). Did popchips make the right call? Now it's your turn to decide: Which presentation did you think was the best?
Chat Online About The Pitch Episode 4 This Sunday Night
Throughout the season, fans of The Pitch are invited to discuss the latest episode with fellow fans and friends LIVE while the show is airing on AMC. Want to join the conversation? Click here to log onto the AMC Talk forum, then start chatting in the comments section. The East Coast Watch on TV / Chat Online event begins at 11/10c while the West Coast event begins at 11PM PT.
Don't miss The Pitch Episode 4 this Sun., May 13 at 11/10c on AMC.
EW Touts The Pitch; Ad Age Chats with McKinney Exec
This week, Entertainment Weekly touts The Pitch, and Ad Age chats with a McKinney exec who recently appeared on the show. Plus, Canada's Postmedia News shares its fascination with the series. Read on for more:
• The Pitch is No. 2 on Entertainment Weekly's Must List, noting, "It will totally satisfy your inner Peggy Olson." (No Link.)
• A McKinney executive speaks with Ad Age about swearing on The Pitch: "The fact that only one F-bomb made it in there is probably pretty good."
• Postmedia News of Canada reviews The Pitch, calling it "fascinating TV."
• Resource 411 thinks The Pitch's "visual style and gripping stories are 'pitch' perfect."
Continue reading "EW Touts The Pitch; Ad Age Chats with McKinney Exec" »
Q&A - Kevin Smith, Producer of Comic Book Men
Actor, director, author, podcaster, and producer of AMC's series Comic Book Men, Kevin Smith now can add life adviser to his resume. (He's recently penned a book entitled Tough Sh*t: Life Advice From a Fat Lazy Slob Who Did Good.) In light of his recent book and the renewal of Comic Book Men for a second season, AMCtv.com interviewed Smith (who also answered some questions submitted by AMC viewers.)
Q: The title of your new book Tough Sh*t: Life Advice From a Fat Lazy Slob Who Did Good sounds like a self-help guide. Would you describe it that way?
A: Any book is a self-help guide if you can take something from it. There's a Bible thing -- I was raised Catholic and what not -- that always profoundly affected me. I can't quote chapter and verse, but it's like "Whatever you give out, comes back to you seven-fold." That made an impression on me as a kid. It seemed simple enough so I thought, Well I've got a lifetime, I could try that out. And it's worked for me in my life. But to me, Tough Sh*t reads more like a biography than anything else. It's information for those who are like, "What happened to him?" Or more like, "What's wrong with him?" I've had people say, "Oh, this makes Red State make more sense." The book -- knock wood -- has been the least criticized thing I've done in nearly 20 years...
Q: It spent several weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List...
A: Man, that was really important to the publisher. They were like, "We got to get on that list. That's how we sell books." And I'm just like, not anymore, that's not how I sell anything now. How I sell my stuff now is all built on stepping away from the mainstream -- with the podcast, etc. So you tell me I'm on the Times Best Seller List, I'm flattered, I'm honored, and that's nice. But what does it for me -- you go to my Twitter page and those are the reviews of Tough Sh*t that make the difference to me. I can't tell you how many people have said the book's inspiring. And that, I dig. It's not about being on a list.
Q: What made you decide to start writing books?
Continue reading "Q&A - Kevin Smith, Producer of Comic Book Men" »
AMC Renews Comic Book Men and Talking Dead
AMC announced a second season pick-up for its unscripted series Comic Book Men and Talking Dead. Comic Book Men is executive produced by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy), Charlie Corwin's Original Media (LA Ink, Storm Chasers, Swamp People) and Elyse Seiden (Red State). The series continues to delve into fanboy culture by following the antics in and around Smith's New Jersey comic shop, Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash. Talking Dead, the network's first live after show that serves as a platform for discussion for AMC's series The Walking Dead, is executive produced by Michael Davies and co-executive produced by Jen Kelly from Embassy Row. Chris Hardwick (Nerdist; G4) is the host. Season two of both series consists of 16 half-hour episodes.
Continue reading "AMC Renews Comic Book Men and Talking Dead" »
Q&A - Scott Brown, President / Chief Creative Officer of FKM (The Pitch)
In Episode 3 of AMC's The Pitch, Scott Brown, President / Chief Creative Officer of FKM, makes some unconventional decisions which pay off big time in his agency's bid to win the Clockwork account. Brown spoke with AMCtv.com about his bold decisions and how he plans to celebrate FKM's victory.
Q: Taking your staff's cell phones for 24 hours is a bold move. Had you done anything like that before?
A: We had never done that specifically before. We usually give idea teams days to work on grand challenges. But this time... we didn't have that luxury. So we just thought in order to get the best thinking done from these really smart folks was to take all the distractions away. It's impossible these days to limit all the noise, because with your cell phone, you're working 24/7. Your cell phone now has your whole life on it. But also we set those guys up with great food those 24 hours. We did wine. Awesome coffee.
Q: Did you end up putting your cell phone in the box too?
A: [Laughs] I'll be honest, I did not. Also, there were a bunch of parents in that group -- single moms that needed their phones to make sure the sitter got the kids to bed and stuff. So there had to be some exceptions to the rule.
Q: Did being on camera affect the team's creative process?
Continue reading "Q&A - Scott Brown, President / Chief Creative Officer of FKM (The Pitch)" »
Q&A - Andy Krupski, President/CEO of The Hive (The Pitch)
In this week's episode of AMC's The Pitch, The Hive's President / CEO Andy Krupski pitches Clockwork "America's On-Time Heroes" and the "Time is Money Truck." Now Krupski talks with AMCtv.com about what it takes to succeed in the business.
Q: What made you decide to have The Hive compete on The Pitch?
A: It was based on an article I read in Ad Age last year about the show... Given that we're an independent, held by a few of us, and the fact that we love competition, I tracked down the guys at Studio Lambert. I said, "Hey, we're a Canadian Agency, but we'd love to do it."
Q: Did being on camera inspire your team's creativity?
A: We got used to the cameras pretty quickly, so that didn't affect our process. [But] the process was changed by the fact that there was such little time. So that was more of an impact than the cameras themselves.
Q: After hearing what Clockwork was looking for, what proved the greatest challenge?
Continue reading "Q&A - Andy Krupski, President/CEO of The Hive (The Pitch)" »
Features
AMC Renews Comic Book Men and Talking Dead
AMC has announced an order for 16 half-hour episodes of the Kevin Smith comic book reality series and the live after show for The Walking Dead.
Q&A - Kevin Smith, Producer of Comic Book Men
Kevin Smith, the producer of AMC's hit series Comic Book Men, discusses his new book Tough Sh*t, which is filled with, as he puts it, life advice from a fat lazy slob who did good.
Chat Online About The Pitch Episode 4 This Sunday Night
Where do you go to chat live about Episode 4 of AMC's The Pitch? To The Pitch Talk forum, of course.
online staff
- Mac McKean, SVP, DIGITAL MEDIA
- Drew Pisarra, VP, DIGITAL MEDIA
- Lee Dayton, SENIOR PRODUCER
- Tim Dirks, SENIOR EDITOR & FILM HISTORIAN
- John Frankfurt, DIRECTOR OF ONLINE DEVELOPMENT
- Khalilah Martin, MANAGER OF DIGITAL PRODUCTION
- Clayton Neuman, PRODUCER
- Mary Novak, DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL VIDEO
- Ashley Shaw, MANAGER OF DIGITAL MEDIA
