Thank God it is finally Thanksgiving break! Although, like my social life, the adcenter has somehow found a way to dominate this also. So there will undoubtly be some concepting of ideas, many emails, a couple of surveys and some creative thinking but I might find some time to lay around and be indolent. And who knows just for fun I might throw in a " Now lets go around the room and say what were all thankful for!" Oh, goodtimes!

When does fear turn into complacency and how does humility find refuge within pride. How could I of ever become comfortable within an institution that challenges the bounds of excellence? Somewhere down the line, as the semester progressed I found my niche within this school and developed the infamous “I too belong here” mentality. The result… my work may be good but its surly not, reach for the stars great. In the beginning, I worked my butt off in hopes that I would just survive the first week, and now I’m already overlooking the last two weeks of class in anticipation of the holiday break. Excellence hates complacency… and in truth, they can never coexist. Their will always be a struggle between the two, and for excellence at least… you can’t just tolerate it, you must love the struggle. James more inspiringly put it when he said… “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” In all of your obstacles and achievements consider the character within the struggle, and love to learn it. If I leave you with anything it is simply this, complacency is the great equalizer among our people… supercede it with excellence.

Alright, so as I'm sure you all are aware of the numerous different styles of advertising. As generation Y millennials, were prime targets for the direct mail, TV, you tube, social network, and interactive media advertisement bombardment! But there is one type of media execution that I love to work with: A concept we call in the advertising world Guerrilla Marketing! I love it because it doesn't just promote another product but rather it adds to the outdoor experience. True its rare ifyou ever see one of these promotions in person but if do...it sure to be an image you'll remember. I grabed some pictures for you guys to check out, I think you'll find that the executions speak for themselves. If you wanted to see some more of these nontraditional advertisements check out the books "Advertising is dead, Long live advertising" and " Hoopla".

So this challenge is for you kid, you know who you are! So how about it...are you game!

So its November and if you have ever been my roommate during this time you know exactly what that means... Its time to breakout the Soulful Christmas Motown edition cd! What can I say its tradition, its all about getting head start on the Christmas season. Its all just a prerequisite to that time when I break out into a full fledge 24 hours of a Christmas Story! Ok, so November might be a little soon for the Christmas hits but this cd is a definite must!

Its 1:30 on a cool Tuesday afternoon and for right now I’m just taking it easy for lunch.. I’m at the Broad street McDonald’s in the medical district finally getting a chance to do lunch on my own for a change. A time of solitude that I cherish since every aspect of my life is dictated by group work. I’m sitting at the table, with my ipod blarring the 116 cliques latest album, with a fresh white long sleeve thermal and my vintage jeans…you know how I do. As I’m finishing my meal I am anxiously awaiting the elderly gentlemen next to me to leave so that I can grab his news paper.

Finally he jets back off to work and I’m able to indulge into the Pervez Musharraf state of emergency article, which I have been salivating every since I sat down. As I frantically finish the first page and proceed to continue on to page A6 , my eyes catch a glance of four children at the table in front of me. With their table covered in hamburger wrappers, fries, and toys. Conversations of cartoons and toys and 12 year old jokes. That’s when I realized it was official…I had grown up. I had become that guy… the grown up at the next table... the guy that me and my friends as children would see and think, it’s the real world for you buddy.

With their newspapers, computer typing and old man music. It was clear, that time had come full circle and with an unannounced arrival. I laughed just in the fact that I could remember being that way in a McDonalds with friends… but even more so that I had had become that guy…Almost like something you might see in a McDonalds commercials targeted towards African Americans….you know like the tradition based on having your birthday party at McDonalds’s as a rite of passage. I must say that Tuesday’s are good days…even if you find your self to be that guy.

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING! It seems that Adidas is truly living by there words in their new Basketball is brotherhood campaign. The truth of the matter is that the whole campaign is spectacular. Any ball player will tell you that the emotions and the feel of the campaign are genuine. The execution of the concept and exploration of the culture are flawless.

Remember the sound of the first ball hitting the court at 7am for Saturday morning practice. Or the synchronized panting of a group of guys who just ran 30 laps. Or maybe the queasy feeling you get in your stomach from the infectious laughter you shared on the bus ride to the gym. If you don’t, then this campaign will surely bring you back by indulging in their fully integrated Brotherhood campaign. An in-depth look at an elite basketball camp where NBA all-stars teach the next generation about the essence of Brotherhood.

Is there any better way to say it then, Basketball is a Brotherhood. A band of brothers, a team, a family, a fraternity of warriors. The truth is the message resonates deep within the core of young men whose’ hoops dreams of NBA fame died long ago and have turned to corporate world ambitions. And to the Youngbloods who are still living the dream it, serves as an inspiration and motivation for the struggle of the off-season. Authenticity is the key, Adidas has capitalized on it and that’s why this spot works so well. It’s not just clever way to sell you kicks, it’s about the concepts of hard work, no pain no fame, die for your teammates, and sacrifice. Just look at the character and personality of the coaches, Tracy McGrady Chauncey Billups Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, and agent zero himself Gilbert Arenas. Most of them have rings some of them don’t, but all of them are recognized as being among the NBA’s elite players. All of which have already started paving their way for a place in Hall of Fame.

Lets look at the genius of this campaign from the advertising perspective. Not only have they established a small culture around the basketball brotherhood but they have given the perception that the consumer can also be apart of this elite training camp by gaining access through the website. The connection from the commercial leads to a push to the internet where players are highlighted in behind the scenes pep talks about their role in their respective brotherhoods. You’re able to view the NBA all-stars in a more personal manner. Including a segment with Dwight Howard Crankin that Soulja Boy with some youngsters.

But aside from the beautifully produced video footage they have the centerpiece of it all, the Team Signature basketball shoe displayed beautifully on the homepage. Its remarkable that Adidas has created a whole culture and community that can be self sustained on its own merit, and yet it’s really just added value to encourage people to buy the shoes. ( Welcome to the new direction of Advertising!) What truly makes this campain spectacular is that Adidas understands this segment. The mere fact that the shoes aren’t promoted every three seconds throughout the media speaks volumes to their commitment to the message. In fact the shoes are never even verbally mentioned by the players or the camp participants. Now, obviously everyone you see in the short films are sporting all Adidas appeal but there is not one time in any of the videos where the attention is drawn to the apparel and away from the camp.

The work my not receive awards from the industry but the vision of the campaign will be praised by ball players and fans alike for a very long time. The NBA Season starts next week and the Houston Rocket brotherhood will be ready to take the west!…What brotherhood do you belong to?