There was much joy. Much celebration. Surprisingly little whining.

Precision and soul. Analytical and emotional. Calculated and carefree.

Yes, you need to bring the basics – expertise and/or experience in writing, research, planning, proofreading, project management, event planning, media relations skills, community relations experience and interpersonal engagement – bottom line…do you like other human beings? You need to meet deadlines, assist in organizing and driving projects and deal with egotistical creative-types who don’t want to change the color from red to rose. The applicant should also speak digital natively. Can you easily whip up some HTML (or have you at least thought about trying to learn)? Know how to draft a SMPR? Can you create strategies to drive online consumer engagement? What’s your favorite presentation format? Most importantly, when faced with a challenge, do you respond with “absolutely” even if you have no idea how to accomplish it? We want someone who gets things done, not someone who thinks about getting things done.

Besides the boring stuff – do you have a sense of humor? Are you able to laugh at yourself (if not, we’ll surely take care of that)? Do you speak up? Are you comfortable being uncomfortable? What’s your preference iPhone, Droid or (gulp) blackberry? We need you to accept that some days you’ll be taking meeting notes, monitoring social media platforms or putting together an overly detailed dashboard with metrics and analysis. Other days you might be escorting the Governor to an event, coordinating interviews with CNN, pitching new business or figuring out how to leverage the latest and greatest digital tool/platform. We’re looking for a Bachelor’s degree and 2-4 years experience. If you’re sturdy enough for duty, please apply here.

Highlights:

•      Designed to give the user a chance to “ride the stage,” the VJ digital design team captured Google Earth 3-D map imagery and built a comprehensive content structure that not only offers the user a firsthand view of the course but also content that includes Pro Commentary, Course Stats, Race Events and Local Attractions.

•      Whether you’re a cycling professional or a novice cruiser, you’ll be able to “Follow Your Team” and capture the latest and greatest updates through real-time Facebook feeds directly from the webpage, enhancing the user experience.

•      With all sections of the race route represented, website visitors can seek out the perfect perch to watch the race, landmarks to visit while in town or elevation changes through the stage allowing the user to gain insight into the race and truly grasp the epic nature of Stage 5.

•      This summer, the site will host pictures and video of the course, including time-lapse shots showing the beauty and beastly nature of the course.

QUOTE:

“As outdoor and cycling enthusiasts at heart, our digital team really wanted to bring Stage 5 to life for our users, while also providing a tangible and informative user experience,” said Alan Rhatigan, interactive art director at VJ. “Our strategy is rooted in the belief that creating a relationship with the user drives the success of digital engagement. We wanted to make navigation of the route a personal experience, one that gives a play-by-play of every twist and turn.”

CREDITS:

Ryan Johnson, Digital Creative Director

Alan Rhatigan, Interactive Art Director & Developer

Ryan Serpan, Digital Strategist

Ken Ligrani, Digital Campaign Coordinator

Tristan Olson, Senior Integrated Producer

Dylan Thomas, Digital Project Manager

Carly Murphy, Account Executive

Amy Triandiflou, Brand Communications Account Supervisor

READ MORE ABOUT IT

Jen, our new Senior Art Director, not only has outstanding taste in music and film (see the accompanying board- She’s a Kubrick and Christopher Nolan fan) and a wickedly dark sense of humor, she also writes a smart blog (intrinsicalities.blogspot.com) and comes to us with a dazzling resume/portfolio, highlighted by work as  Lead Creative and Art Director at Burns Marketing in Johnstown, CO.

She plays tennis, cross-country skis and lists her favorite food as coffee. She’s originally from Charles City, Iowa, a town that positions itself as the Main Street of Iowa, and reminds folks on its website that it’s part of the “Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area.”

Otherwise, having our trusted canines in the workplace has been a joy for the peeps at VJ.

In this photo, Mimi (left) and Cady share a moment in Meredi’s office. If you’re wondering why Cady is so happy, it’s not only because she gets to go to work with mom, it’s also because she eats Stella and Chewy’s “Duck Duck Goose™” Frozen Dinners!

Shameless pandering to potential client? You betcha!

A bunch of us went to the Denver Museum of Art to collect awards from the Business Marketing Association while others enjoyed the Mad Men and Women Art Festival in Colorado Springs.

First, about those nice, shiny awards. VJ took three silvers in the 2012 Colorado Business Marketing Association (BMA) Gold Key during an award ceremony Friday night at the Denver Art Museum.

The creative from the 2011 Manifesto, part of Xcel Energy’s B2B Energy Efficiency campaign, played well in each of the categories we entered:

-       Total B2B Campaign (Campaigns for which production and media costs exceeded $250,000 during a 12-month period)

-       B2B Advertising Campaign (Print)

-     Potpourri (DIA Presence)

While the Denver contingent was nibbling on some fine rubber chicken, the Springs group was grooving to the sensational picking by Grass It Up, one of the region’s top bluegrass groups that happens to have a bass player who’s also quite an ad man. We also were sipping Yellow Kite, a summer pils, that’s perfect for a warm May evening (thanks, Bristol!), and noshing on fine eats provided by the Braxton Technologies folks.

The point of the festival was to get to know our building neighbors (they’re seriously cool), schmooze with our fellow agency folks, celebrate the art of our industry’s ilk, and raise money for Peak Art Fund. Check. Check. Check. And check!

Not all of the art at the festival sold, so if you see anything the photos below that catches your fancy, we can hook you up. Just email wepstein@vladimirjones.com.

Like the resort. It is art.

From Dennis Lesko, Vice President of Marketing at The Broadmoor:

“In November 2011, we embarked on a mission with our partner/agency Vladimir Jones to launch a 2012 media and advertising plan with a focus on a Brand campaign. The target was our core Group meetings market, which historically accounts for 70% of our business. With a mix of print, national television, interactive and direct mail the agency team has met and exceeded my expectations. The images and messages are subtle yet strong, silent yet bold and unique in each delivery.”

From George Olson, Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Officer,  Goofball, Vladimir Jones:

“In a category that’s rife with superlatives, we started with the idea of The Broadmoor as this magnificent anomaly; a fusion of location, tradition, service and amenities that really can’t be compared apples-to-apples with any other property anywhere.

“It’s so tempting to look at The Broadmoor on a macro level; you have this gorgeous, historic, sprawling, 3,000-acre campus in the foothills that takes your breath away. Yet when you look closer, what makes The Broadmoor property really special is the individual spaces within the resort. The fireplace by the lake. The Golden Bee, a reconstructed English pub. Signature restaurants including Colorado’s only five-star dining experience. The spa and the golf courses. Even the lobbies, ballrooms and meeting spaces. These spaces give the property a richness of character and experience that make it an amazing place to reconnect and recharge on a business or personal level.”

The new campaign of TV, digital, print and out-of-home ads, employs special techniques, including cinemagraphs, which animate one small portion of still images. The TV commercials seem to take the viewers inside those images. Together, these new ads reach from the tangibility of The Broadmoor’s world-class restaurants, spa, golf courses, rooms and meeting spaces to the delightfully intangible – the moments that turn a stay, a meeting, a meal – into a lifelong memory

Chief Creative Officer/Copywriter: George Olson

Creative Director: Ryan Johnson

Associate Creative Director: Phil Barber

Senior Art Director: Matt Sharpe

Art Director/Developer: Alan Rhatigan

Senior Integrated Producer: Tristan Olson

Integrated Production Coordinator: Nicole Emery

Account Supervisor: Dori Mitchell

Assistant Account Executive: Nerissa England

Production Artist: Dori Hopkins

Photographer: Tom Hussey

Digital Production: Voltage

Post Production: Riposte

Music: John Standish / City Tracks

See the rest of the work.

Congrats to the team! This certainly was work worthy of recognition. In a field clogged with images of way-too-happy doctors and nurses, our Centura Health campaigns have really grabbed people by the gall bladders.

In addition to the fun traditional and OOH stuff (love the escalator) we took an unusual tack with our social media, asking people to pledge to stop “driving distracted.” We would then check in with them weekly over the course of a couple of months to ask about their personal progress and give prizes for the follow through.

That’s what a healthy campaign looks like. Way to go.

Check it out.