“UV Vodka, a local brand by Minneapolis-based spirits company Phillips Distilling Company, announces the launch of their new national ad campaign, “be UV”. The ad agency behind the creation of this campaign, Periscope, and the media relations representation for this campaign, Roepke PR, are both Minneapolis-based companies. ”

The press release for Periscope’s new Ad Campaign for UV Vodka “be UV”:

Phillips Distilling Company Announces New UV Vodka Advertising Campaign

MINNEAPOLIS (April 2, 2013) – Phillips Distilling Company (Phillips) today announces the launch of the new “be UV” advertising campaign for UV Vodka, encouraging consumers to break out of the ordinary and live colorfully. UV Vodka is an award-winning flavored vodka brand sold worldwide. Minneapolis-based advertising agency Periscope is the creative force behind the campaign.

The tagline, “be UV” inspires consumers to be as original, bright and colorful as UV Vodka’s 17 flavors. Incorporating lifestyle photography and engaging brand language, the creative execution’s goal is to establish a deeper connection between consumers and UV Vodka.

“‘be UV’ is a permission slip to be yourself,” said Periscope Creative Director, Scott Dahl. “It’s both a celebration and a call-to-action that invites people to be bold, unique and bright, just like UV Vodka.”

The campaign launches with a new website, an interactive photo sharing tool, print and online advertising, sponsored events and newly designed social media. Roepke Public Relations will support the campaign with media relations.

Tablet and smartphone friendly, the website is designed with an electric color palette, new cocktail photography, imagery emphasizing UV’s natural ingredients and brightly filtered images of real UV fans.

The “UV Ad yourself” photo sharing tool allows users to upload pictures of themselves with a custom editing feature. Fans choose from an array of headlines and colored lenses to create their own “be UV” advertisement. Select photos will be featured on the website and in national advertisements. The “UV Ad yourself” tool is built into the website and accessible for mobile and tablet platforms. A new Facebook app allows users to share their “be UV” advertisement instantly.

“The new campaign is a strategic marketing shift for UV Vodka,” said Phillips Director of Marketing, Katie Alvino “’be UV’ reflects the originality of our flavors and the authenticity of our brand. The campaign gives new meaning to the UV Vodka experience, building a brand affinity with consumers and driving business globally.”

UV Vodka is distilled four times for premium quality and activated carbon filtered to ensure the highest level of purity and the perfect pH balance. UV Vodka is an IMPACT! Magazine “Hot Brand” award winner for eight consecutive years.

Visit UV Vodka’s new website, www.uvvodka.com, “LIKE” UV Vodka on Facebook and follow @uv_vodka on Twitter.

About Phillips Distilling Company

Phillips Distilling Company (Phillips) is one of the most innovative and enduring distilled spirits companies in the U.S. 100 years in the making, Phillips continues to produce high-quality products using only the finest ingredients, sourced from around the globe. From America’s first schnapps in the 1930s, to flavored vodka in the 1950s, to flavored whiskey in the 2000s, Phillips is consistently a pioneer in the spirits industry. The Phillips portfolio includes UV Vodka flavored vodkas, Prairie Vodka, Revel Stoke Spiced Whisky, Phillips and SourPuss Liqueurs. Phillips Distilling Company is a subsidiary of United States Distilled Products. The company is based in Minneapolis. www.phillipsdistilling.com

About Periscope

Periscope is one of the fastest growing independent creative agencies in the nation with 475 employees. Based in Minneapolis, with global offices in Hong Kong, Delhi and Toronto, Periscope offers a full-spectrum of marketing services to a wide range of acclaimed brands including Phillips Distilling, Bridgestone, Target, Arctic Cat, UnitedHealth Group, Columbia Sportswear, ExxonMobil and more. Visit us at www.periscope.com.

There aren’t too many agencies in the Twin Cities that could be over 200 employees strong, be responsible for creating some of the most memorable and visible campaigns for Target in recent memory and still fly under the radar. For inHouse, Target’s internal collection of creative talent, this is exactly the case.

This creative force has been working behind the scenes for the last five years helping make Target one of the most recognized brands in the world. At the latest Ad 2 event, inHouse let us visit their Minneapolis studio space to share how they effectively compete and collaborate with the best agencies in the world.

While Target is one company, inHouse treats each ‘business’ unit as a different client with its own goals, aspirations and unique challenges. “We constantly strive to go beyond the brief,” said Aaron Muther, copywriter for Target inHouse. “Why not take a chance to push beyond and deliver something truly memorable?”

One advantage inHouse has is its intimate familiarity of Target. This recognition of the Target brand and culture drives all the work that comes out of inHouse. “Target is such an amazing brand, it’s only natural we channel the energy and passion of actually working for Target directly into our work,” said Kiera Jacobson, copywriter for Target inHouse.

The Ad 2 crew greatly appreciates the unique perspective the inHouse team members provided on what it’s like to work in a “corporate” setting. While inHouse may not be a household name to the general public, their work continues to speak for itself.

More Ad Fed and Ad 2 events here.

Is there someone in your office or someone that you know with the nickname “Rockstar”? Have you run out of accolades to describe them? Are you secretly convinced they just might actually be a superhero in disguise? If this is the case  – Ad 2 wants to help you recognize them.

Announcing the 32 Under 32 Awards. This first annual award, sponsored by Ad 2 and The Advertising Federation of Minnesota, recognizes the best and the brightest advertising, marketing and public relations professionals in the Twin Cities under the age of 32. Nominations are wanted for both account-focused and creative-focused individuals, but not limited to only these positions. We encourage digital, strategists and social media professionals to submit as well!

“32 Under 32 is a very unique award as it provides accolades on the individual level,” shared Anna Sanders, Programs Director for Ad 2. “With so much amazing work being produced, we are excited to be able to recognize the individuals who are making it all happen.”

The winners will be honored at 32 Under 32 cocktail reception on May 29 at the Fine Line Music Café. In addition, the winners will be featured in the summer issue of Thirty Two Magazine. Nominations must be received by Friday, April 5 at Midnight so be sure to submit your rock star today!

The second keynote of the annual Student Advertising Summit (SAS) was delivered by Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA) President, Tim Brunelle. His presentation,“Thoughts on Starting an Advertising Career in 2013,” looked at the unprecedented opportunity those about to start their advertising and marketing careers have in front of them. (You can read the recap of the first keynote here).

Tim shared his thoughts on how the world of advertising is evolving, with new innovations pushing the limits of what can be done. One area he discussed was the shifting paradigm within advertising from a persuasion industry to a service industry. “Traditionally advertising has been to sell things. Now advertising is a means to help people – assisting them in finding a product or service that provides value and improves their life quality,” stated Brunelle.

For the next generation of advertising professionals, it will be up to them to drive this transition forward. “Ideas should cause the reaction – I haven’t thought of it that way before,” stated Brunelle. “The up-and-coming advertising professionals’ experience with digital and connected technologies will allow them to dive in from day one and have an immediate impact. There are tried and true techniques that need to be grasped, but once they master these, they will have the opportunity to do some innovative and cool work.”

Brunelle summed up his presentation with some words of encouragement: “The opportunity to shape the future of the advertising industry has been handed to you. It’s now up to you to decide what you are going to do with it and just how far you will take it. The rest of advertising industry is hoping that you will make us proud.”

More Ad Fed and Ad 2 events here.

See all the photos from SAS on Ad Fed’s Facebook page.

The Annual Student Advertising Summit (SAS) recently occurred on Friday, February 22. This one-day event provided students pursuing advertising and marketing careers an opportunity to hear from industry heavyweights, network with creative professionals and tour the leading agencies in the Twin Cities. For this year’s SAS, the Ad 2 crew was thrilled to provide dual keynote presentations. This post is the first of two highlighting the lessons learned from these presentations.

The first keynote – Lessons About New Digital, Brought To You By Old TV – was presented by Rocky Novak (@rockynovak) Director of Digital Development for Fallon, and Aki Spicer (@akispicer), Director of Digital Strategy for Fallon. Their presentation provided guidance on what will be needed to ensure success executing digital marketing strategies, in a way only the Rocky & Aki Show could do.

“As consumer technology has evolved over the years, so has advertising,” stated Novak. “Each new channel that became accessible, required advertisers to adapt to it. Digital marketing, and the connected technologies that drive it, provides a challenge for marketers as it is evolving at breakneck speed. However, those who can adapt have an unbelievable opportunity to actively engage with their consumers.”

So what is the key to adapting to digital strategies? Novak and Spicer shared five lessons, with classic television programs providing the context:

Data isn’t scary if you know what to do with it – Connected technologies are providing organizations unprecedented insight into their consumers’ preferences and behaviors. Understanding how to analyze this data to drive future tactics will be the ultimate value of any digital marketing effort.

There are no experts…yet – Digital marketing is still in its infancy, meaning 20-year industry vets and recent grads are all on the same playing field. The opportunity this provides for those just starting their careers to have an immediate impact is a rare occurrence. Take advantage of it!

People want to feel special, so treat them that way – All consumers are people. Tailored messaging, customized web experiences and one-to-one interactions are replacing static, mass communications. Even more, customers are now vocal brand ambassadors and collaborators. The opportunity to connect with a person on an individual level – always a marketers dream – is now truly a reality.

Pace means more opportunity to make stuff cool – Throw out your editorial calendars. Decisions – and actual actions – need to happen in real time. Look no further than this year’s Super Bowl. The blackout during the game provided Oreo and Audi the opportunity to create viral, unplanned ads that propelled their brands into the spotlight. Neither brand veered from the core campaigns they had been executing in recent years, but their ability to instantaneously deliver fresh content is what separated them from all other advertisers.

People don’t want ads, but they might want your content – We’ve all seen the stats on how many advertisements an individual is bombarded with each day. Its no wonder we’re all wary of ‘ads’.  However, if you deliver content that is entertaining, intriguing or interesting to your audience, the viral effect connected technologies provides, can turn each and every consumer into a potential distribution channel.

“While technology and behavior are intrinsically linked, it is important to remember eventually all technology will fade, so always follow behavior,” stressed Aki Spicer. “Because of this, to succeed, we must all remember the most important skill is the ability to acquire new skills.”

See all the photos from SAS on Ad Fed’s Facebook page.

FREE BEER! Now that we have your attention, it’s time to tell you how you can get free Fulton beer, that doesn’t involve any illicit activities.

Ad 2 is thrilled to be hosting our annual networking event at Fulton Brewing on Thursday, February 28. This “hoppy hour” is a fantastic opportunity to join the Ad 2 crew and your fellow advertising and marketing professionals for an evening of cold beer, live music and dynamic discussions.

This annual networking event is always one of Ad 2’s most well attended happenings of the year. Don’t miss the chance to make new connections and expand your network while enjoying a pint of one of Minneapolis’ finest brews.  A good time is definitely going to be on tap. Space is limited for this event. Register today to secure your spot!

The Details:

What: Ad 2 Annual Networking Event

Where: Fulton Brewing

When: Thursday, February 28, 5:30 – 8:00 pm

Why: Free Beer! (And networking, too).

RE CAP:

The lucky WINNERS of the Fulton drawing include:

Christine Taffe, Haberman: gift card

Katie Peterson, Digital People: gift card

Kristina Eastham, Digitaria: gift card

Monica Granados, Olson: gift card

Eric Simons, Sir Simons: resume review with Digital People

Please look for the gift cards in the mail this week. Thank you, everyone for joining us at Fulton last week!

At the most recent Ad 2 event, a packed house of advertising and marketing professionals had the unique opportunity to hear a rock star panel of industry heavyweights discuss how they each found success. The panel consisted of Tracie Curb-Crowser, Creative Director/Partner of Curb Crowser, Stacy Janicki, Director of Account Management, Senior Partner of Carmichael Lynch, Beth LaBreche, Vice President of Strategic Development, Gage and Erica Hanna, Producer, Writer, Shooter, Director and Editor for WCCO.

What was interesting to hear, was that while all the panelists took a unique path to find their success, three traits were acknowledged as being essential in helping them get to where they are today: personal drive, confidence and empathy.  “Having an insatiable appetite for learning is critical for your success,” said LaBeche. “Never be satisfied with what you know. Take advantage of the wealth of resources available to us to always learn something new.”

The panel agreed that to effectively leverage the knowledge you possess requires the self-confidence to turn your insight into actionable items. “Confidence will come with passion for what you do and by just being yourself,” said Curb-Crowser. “Let it come naturally. If it’s forced, people will see right through it. Lead with your passion for the work you do, and your ideas and input will be better received.”

“Just as important as having confidence is balancing it with empathy. Understand who you are talking to, what challenges they face and what they need to succeed,” says Janicki.  “Regardless if you’re presenting to a client, meeting with a boss or interacting with a coworker, they are all people who may not be receptive to you if you don’t take the time to learn about them.”  “Ask people about themselves,” adds Hanna. “Everyone likes to talk about themselves. Take the time to ask the people what their passions are. You will be amazed at what you will learn by doing this and the new level of connections you can make.”

What became clear by the end of the discussion was there is not a cookie-cutter formula for being a successful marketing and advertising executive…and that’s a good thing.

For more Ad Fed events: Click Here.

The presidential election may be over, but politics is a hot topic that will never end. On November 29, Ad 2 hosted a Media + Politics event. Republicans and democrats alike gathered at the beautiful, tastefully decorated, Minneapolis Club to listen to Andy Brehm and Bill Hillsman talk about, you guessed it, politics. Not only did Brehm and Hillsman share their impressive political resumes but they also discussed the effects marketing and advertising have on political campaigns and elections.

Currently working as a corporate attorney at the law firm of Dorsey and Whitney, LLP, Brehm also servers as a television, radio and print commentator for multiple local news outlets. Prior to becoming a Minnesota lawyer, Brehm served as press secretary to U.S. Senator Norm Coleman, during which Brehm was titled the youngest person to serve in that role on Capitol Hill.

Brehm discussed about the importance of being truthful in the political word, but emphasized to stay professional and respectful when giving an opinion. Brehm ended his speech by revealing his PR secret; he would send one message each day to the press so they would respond to him instead of ignoring his calls. It is possible that he learned this probing tactic when he worked in the press secretary’s office at the White House under President George Bush.

Bill Hillsman is the founder and driving force behind North Woods Advertising and is the creator of some of the most successful, attention getting marketing campaigns of the past few decades. Hillsman worked for the late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone’s 1990 campaign, which won a Grand EFFIE by the American Marketing Association. A Twin Cities veteran, Hillsman’s hard work got him a spot on “The Marketing 100” by Advertising Age and named one of Minnesota’s “100 Most Influential People”. Well, the proof is in the pudding.

Not only was Hillsman’s agency the first to win a Grand EFFIE award, his resume is filled with successful political ads featuring Senator Paul Wellstone and Governor Jesse Ventura, which aired on Saturday Night Live. While engulfing delicious sliders accompanied with a couple of decadent sauces, the crowed was blown away by the creativity demonstrated in Hillsman’s political ads. Hillsman also showed “Faster Paced Paul”, “Looking for Rudy”, another 1998 Jesse ad, “Just Vote No”, and Enough!.

For upcoming Ad Fed events, click here.

There are small Ad Fed events, there are larger Ad Fed events and then there is The Show. The Advertising Federation of Minnesota’s The Show event this year was themed “The Passive and Aggressive,” and did not disappoint as many from the Twin Cities’ advertising community gathered at Mill City Nights on November 9^th.

The unique building layout at Mill City Nights provided multiple levels of entertainment and enthusiasm. On the first floor was the photo booth (operated by Tom Thulen of Tom Thulen Photogrpahy), where attendees could dress in many forms of costume: hats, masks, various plastic weapons while being photographed. These were enough to bring out anyone’s inner aggressor.

The Stratford Companies had a booth and was handing out goodie bags with four different phrases on them: Bullsh*t, WTF?!, Needs Improvement and Unaccepted.

There were tables adorned with delicious items presented by Crave, including: caprese skewers, mini tacos, pita and hummus with different spreads. A second course was served a few hours later: potato bites, pinwheel wraps, mini Crave burgers and coconut curry satay. The final course concluded with: truffle pops, chocolate tulip cups and my personal favorite, cake pops. To feed the estimated hundreds of attendees on hand the food wasn’t far out of reach and there was more than enough to calm and bring out a person’s passivity.

Beyond the food, the real reason for the gathering of this event lay on black panels: the fantastic variety of advertisements and creative work that had been submitted for this year’s The Show. Twelve different categories were recognized: Print, Cultural/Education, Student, Broadcast, Cause, Integrated, Self-promotion, Alternative/Guerilla, Illustration, Graphic Design, Digital Media and Photography. Not to be outdone, each was accompanied by a well-dressed figure with a snarky comment. One example for the Student category: “What an honor. It really should soften the blow of pending unemployment.”. Above the printed ads was a large screen, displaying the winners of each category throughout the latter part of the night.

Finally, in the basement of Mill city Nights were the coveted The Show award pins. There were many winners of gold, silver and bronze pins. The top winner was Brad Harrison of Carmichael Lynch who walked away with 32 pins. The Mono agency left the building with 31 pins.  Also, Ellie Anderson of Carmichael Lynch garnered 26 pins.

The fanfare may have died down and the pins carried home, but one thing is for sure: Mill City Nights, the attendees, Crave and Ad Fed made The Show of 2012 a memorable experience.

Last week Ad 2 gathered at Padilla Speer Beardsley for its very first event of the year, braving cold winds and Viking fans. They ventured to the agency to hear about innovation from folks who have plenty of experience with it. Following a mixing of the minds around Qdoba and Schell’s, in a room overlooking Mississippi River, members gathered to hear senior vice president, Tom Jollie talk a bit about things you don’t usually find at other PR and Marketing agencies.

From boat reels to interactive entertainment featuring Yo Gabba Gabba!, Tom shared one possible path for public relations agencies of the future – one that’s already being formed at Padilla Speer Beardsley.

For more Ad Fed and Ad 2 events, click here.