For this week’s blog post, all the interns reflected with one week left in our internship. Each of us answered the following questions:

What do you like best about working on a Build-A-Bear project?
What is the biggest thing you’ve learned thus far in launchpad?
How does it feel to only have one week left of launchpad?
What Bear pun from Conner has been your favorite? (Due to the nature of our client, Conner has been sharing many bears puns with the group.)

Conner - Media Strategist

I love working on Build-A-Bear because it is an amazing client and one that has provided joy and happiness for so many people over the years. I know for one that I still have my bear and love him dearly.

The biggest thing that I have learned so far in Launchpad is to be confident in my work. I am learning so many different aspects of media and how it can come together to make an awesome campaign. With all these different things I am learning, it has made me confident in presenting all of my findings and being able to work with such a talented team definitely helps.

It is crazy to me that we only have one more week left here at HLK. I am not ready to go back to school because my time here has been so rewarding. I have met some truly amazing people in this group and in the agency as a whole. I was extremely fortunate to be picked for this internship and am grateful for my time here.

Honestly my favorite puns are the ones that cause the loudest sighs or eye rolls from everyone at the same time. They are a way to get people to laugh and smile throughout the day and it makes me happy knowing that I am known for this now. I love puns and they have fully prepared me for dad jokes in the future.

Olivia - Account Director

Build-a-Bear has been really fun so far. It reminds me of the fun times I had with the company when I was younger. We have been able to be creative and think of many different ideas that would fit the brand.

The biggest thing I have learned through launchpad has been working with others and being a supportive member for the whole team. As the Account Manager, it has been great seeing all of the steps every position has taken to be successful and complete the task at hand.

I feel so upset that Launchpad is almost over! I have learned so much and know that this is an experience I will draw upon many times in the near future. Not only have I learned a lot from the current employees at HLK but also my coworkers. I would have not been able to see different positions and roles of individuals, and really how hard every single one of them works, if I didn’t participate in this internship.

Oh, Connor. It was always fun hearing his bear puns! My favorites were probably the ones he slid into his sentences and it took 3 seconds for everyone to realize and laugh or sigh.

Tony - Art Director

Working for this particular client has been very fun, especially from an art standpoint. I have had such an amazing time incorporating both the companies style with mine to produce the best possible content. The use of illustration has been particularly interesting and challenging, forcing me to be both technically creative and on brand at the same time!

The biggest thing that I have learned so far is how to work cohesively with others, work on very short deadlines and be adaptable at any given moment.

Our time here has flown by so fast, it honestly feels that just last week was our first day. I am sad that this experience is almost over, but excited to see what lies ahead in the future; and the opportunity to be able to look back on this experience and see my personal growth is invaluable.

Connor’s pun list is extensive, to say the least. Out of the MANY I have received I would have to say my favorite is: “Why can’t you hire a bear at work? They never have the right koala-fications.”

John - Copywriter

When working on a project for a company I’m unfamiliar with, it’s always fun to learn a new brand voice. Everyone talks to their customers a little differently and learning the rationale behind it is really interesting to me.

The biggest thing I’ve learned so far in Launchpad is how important being flexible in your thinking is. Information and insights can come at any time during a campaign and from any member of the team. You might have to drop what you were doing and take the work in a new direction. Even though this can be challenging, it results in better-overall work.

Everyone told us the six weeks would fly by and that's proven to be quite an understatement. It sounds clichè.. but it really does feel like we just started.

Conner is a master punsman and full of bear jokes. My personal favorite: “What is a polar bear’s favorite band? Seal.”

Natalie - Content Strategist

Working on build-a-bear has been very interesting because my role as the content strategist has been heavier this time. It’s been really cool to think about how their target audience consumes content and what the best strategy is for this project.

The biggest thing I have learned thus far is that staying positive and supporting your team members is key for success. While each of us have our specific roles, our work as a whole is owned by all of us. There might be roadblocks along the way, but as long as everyone works together by doing their own work and by collaborating, our presentation is bound for success.

It is crazy to think we only have one week left of launchpad. This experience has been so rewarding and allowed me to grow personally and professionally. Getting to know the other interns and work together has been a blast to say the least. I’ll be sad to leave them, but I know this last week will be memorable as we polish our presentation.

I have to say that while Conner has told all of us many great bear puns, I think my favorite has been, why don’t bears use a pole to fish? Because they like to use their bear hands.

Jenna - Brand Planner

The best thing about working for BAB is the opportunity to work on a project for a brand I grew up with! The concepts are so fun. I have learned a lot about the role of the brand planner and the importance of each tactic laddering up to our big idea. It’s been really great to learn from my mentor, Jenny. It’s so important to learn a lot about each role to foster such great teamwork. It is crazy to only have one week left! I have been here since May, so my 12 weeks have really flown by. I am going to miss it so much! How will I possibly find so many dogs in one office?

TBH, the iconic bear puns come so quickly from Conner it’s hard to choose just one. I do love how we all now say “CeleBEARate” instead of celebrate on accident.