Faculty Spotlight: Helayne Spivak

by on October 26, 2012 in brandcenter

Helayne Spivak

Helayne Spivak, former Chief Creative Officer of Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, joined the VCU Brandcenter on August 15, 2012 as its director. Helayne is leading the Brandcenter in its mission of helping the industry navigate change and fueling it with future leaders. She oversees financial and personnel management of the school, as well as fundraising and outreach to individuals and firms in the advertising industry and brand community.

Helayne began her award winning advertising career in NY as a copywriter at Ally & Gargano. After 10 years of gaining recognition for her creative work, Helayne went on to take larger and larger roles in the advertising community. Hal Riney hired her to head up the New York office of Hal Riney & Partners. From there, she went on to become Chief Creative Officer of Young & Rubicam NY as well being appointed one of the first women on their Board of Directors. She has since served as Chief Creative Officer of Ammirati Puris Lintas and Chief Creative Officer of JWT, NY. She has created campaigns for Sears (Come See the Softer Side of Sears), Burger King, UPS, Club Med, Kraft, Kodak, Barneys New York, and a U. S. President, to name just a few. (more…)

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Brandcenter Students Create STILLforJAPAN Initiative

by on July 20, 2011 in brandcenter

It has been 131 days since the lives of millions across Japan were forever rocked by the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

And while the rest of the world may have stopped running breaking news broadcasts and resumed life as normal, there are millions there who cannot.

StillforJapan was created by students from VCU Brandcenter to help keep Japan in all our thoughts and remember those who still need our support.


reposted from VCU News Center, article by Tom Gresham:

STILLforJAPAN, a global initiative, [launched on July 11] with a video message displayed on a prominent Clear Channel Spectacolor HD digital billboard in New York City’s Times Square. The message will help bring attention to the STILLforJAPAN website where people from around the world can visit to observe “A Moment of Stillness.”

At the website, visitors will demonstrate their support for the Japanese people by leaving their computer still and inactive for one minute.  The simple act will serve as a sign of compassion.

…  VCU Brandcenter director Rick Boyko said, “Disasters often make the news for a few days and then we forget. We want Japan to know that in this global universe, one country suffering such an enormous devastation is still remembered.”

The first goal of the campaign is to accumulate 187,439 minutes of stillness, each minute representing one of the victims of the earthquake and tsunami who suffered death or injury or who went missing, became homeless or were exposed to radiation.

The next goal will be to reach 1,031,704 minutes, matching the number of residents of the Sendai Prefecture, the area of Japan hit hardest by the disaster.

Finally, organizers hope to stage a worldwide moment of stillness on March 11, 2012, the first anniversary of the disaster. …

The billboard launch was enabled in part by Clear Channel’s willingness to provide the valuable time on the board for the project, as well as to provide 25 minutes of radio time to promote the launch. Davis and fellow Brandcenter students Andrew Quay, Ernesto Campabala, Jake Mitchell and Amy Matheu conceived the billboard message and the STILLforJAPAN website with help from McKinney, an advertising agency where Davis, Mitchell, Wood and Matheu are serving as interns this summer.

The STILLforJAPAN campaign promises to attract considerable attention in Japan. TV networks from the country will cover the launch of the campaign, including conducting interviews with Brandcenter students involved in the project. In addition, Brandcenter students Sarah Kraus and Joe Hall created a commercial promoting the campaign that will air on Japanese television. The spot, which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/StillforJapan, was produced by Mirada/Motion Theory with original music by Michael Montes of Sacred Noise.

The campaign originated when Kaeda Seville, a Japanese freelance writer and friend of the Brandcenter, contacted Boyko a few weeks after the earthquake and tsunami struck. Seville wondered if there was an avenue for the Brandcenter to help deliver a message of hope to the Japanese people. Boyko contacted the entire roster of Brandcenter students, letting them know that anyone interested in participating could present their ideas to members of the VCU Brandcenter Board of Directors on March 31. Six teams presented their campaign ideas. The STILLforJAPAN idea emerged as a particularly strong one to pursue.

“Our students loved working on this project and have, I believe, created a beautiful campaign,” Boyko said.

STILLforJAPAN website

STILLforJAPAN television spot

VCU Brandcenter: Still For Japan: The World Awaits Japan’s Sunrise

VCU News Center article: VCU Brandcenter Sparks Global Initiative to Show Support for Japanese Disaster Recovery

Brandcenter

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Students in Brandcenter Class of 2012 Gain Agency Experience through Summer Internships

by on July 7, 2011 in brandcenter, graduate programs, students

"squeezy lemon ball" from mac and jeans blog

To gain agency experience and apply what they learned as Brandcenter “freshmen”, students from the Brandcenter Class of 2012 have spread out across the U.S. (and a few overseas) for summer internships.

They are  documenting their experiences at www.macandjeans.com. See what’s going through their heads as they are put to work in the “real world.”

For a list of placements:
The Class of 2012 Summer Internship Experience

mac and jeans: summer internships/brandcenter style

Brandcenter

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Congratulations 2011 VCU Graduates!

by on May 18, 2011 in african american studies, biology, brandcenter, chemistry, english, events, forensic science, gender, sexuality & women's studies, graduation, history, mass communications, math & applied math, military science & leadership, philosophy, physics, psychology, school of world studies, statistical sciences & operations research, wilder school

Spring 2011 Commencement Ceremonies will be held on Saturday, May 21.  For more on all things commencement, see the Commencement Website.

The College of Humanities and Sciences will host a reception (cookies and punch) for our graduates from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM in the University Student Commons, Virginia Rooms, 2nd Floor.

College of Humanities and Sciences Departmental / Unit Ceremonies:

African American Studies
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor

Biology
Saturday, May 21, 2011
3:30 PM
Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 N. 3rd Street, Exhibit Hall B

Brandcenter
Saturday, May 21, 2011
3:30 PM
First Baptist Church
2709 Monument Avenue

Chemistry
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Richmond Salons
907 Floyd Ave, 2nd Floor

English
Saturday, May 21, 2011
2:30 PM
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church
1627 Monument Avenue

Forensic Science
Saturday, May 21, 2011
5:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor

Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Richmond Salons
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor

Government and Public Affairs (The Wilder School)
Saturday, May 21, 2011
2:00 PM
Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 N. 3rd Street, Exhibit Hall A

History
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons Theater
907 Floyd Avenue, 1st Floor

LSEEE (Liberal Studies in Early Elementary Education)
Saturday, May 21, 2011
3:00 PM
University Student Commons Theater
907 Floyd Avenue, 1st Floor

Mass Communications
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:00 PM
Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 N. 3rd Street, Exhibit Hall B

Mathematics
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor

Military Science and Leadership
Friday, May 20, 2011
9:00 AM
Commissioning Ceremony
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
800 South Cathedral Place

Philosophy
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor

Physics
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor

Psychology
Saturday, May 21, 2011
7:30 PM
Siegel Center
1200 West Broad Street

Science
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor

Statistical Sciences and Operations Research
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor

World Studies
Saturday, May 21, 2011
3:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor

CONGRATULATIONS 2011 GRADUATES!!  

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