Beyond the ADDYs 2014 logo

We finally got to have our first beer on the job at Urban Chestnut in the Grove. A cross between a traditional German biergarten and a modern craft brewery, Urban Chestnut has created a “new world meets old world” approach to brewing. Equipped with a European-inspired, walk-up bar and an industrial factory vibe, the brewing company has become a patronage to revolution and reverence. The newly opened Urban Chestnut was the perfect setting for ad agencies in St. Louis to celebrate their award-winning campaigns at “Beyond the ADDYs,” a sold-out event put on by the St. Louis Ad Club. We were excited to get free access to the event and a free lunch, too!

Fresh off the Ameren new business win, HLK’s very own Joe Leahy gave the introductory address followed by presentations from Boxing Clever, Cannonball and Rodgers Townsend. It was an exciting opportunity as interns to hear first-hand how ad agencies formulate and execute a successful campaign, especially as we are in the midst of our own. We received rare insight from the creatives behind the campaigns which made us think and laugh, and inspiration that left us awestruck. As each agency gave commentary on their campaign and walked us through the creative process, we started to learn just how important revolution and reverence could be in this industry.

Coming in wide-eyed and fresh faced to the world of advertising; we are starting to learn that you need both revolution and reverence to be a successful agency. Of course, advertising is about revolution. No one gets to the top by staying the same. Changing our tools and thinking are necessary to any agency’s survival. Without it, we would be in the advertising graveyard of lost potential and hopeless causes. But you also have to never forget where you came from and always be inspired. That’s where reverence comes into play. Sometimes that just means coming together over a beer to celebrate ideas that are bigger than yourself, your agency, and maybe even the industry itself.