Graduate Credits St. John’s Roots for Successful Career
Even before Steven Laux ‘94SVC attended his first class at St. John’s University, he was well on the way to shaping his future. Executive Vice President at The FORT Group, a marketing and production company based in northern New Jersey, Steven always knew he would work in the media. “I was a TV kid. I loved movies and music, and wanted to parlay that into a career,” he said.
Steven has been with The FORT Group since 1994. Today, he is not only actively involved in all the production work done there; he is also responsible for molding the company’s creative vision — bridging the gaps between clients and staff.
Don’t get me wrong, I truly appreciate the connectivity a mobile device provides me throughout the course of a day, pretty much anywhere I happen to be. However, maybe you, like me, are longing for simpler times. Perhaps it speaks to my generation, but the ability to “drop off the grid” for a while seems more and more challenging nowadays. Are we addicted to being “on” all the time? The latest figures on mobile technology penetration suggest indeed we are.
What better way to capture the attention of potential customers in the busy Chicagoland area, then with a provocative outdoor billboard? Developed for Perma-Seal, this campaign was designed to drive leads…plain and simple.
While Perma-Seal has advertised in the outdoor realm before, this concept was somewhat of a departure for them.
The Integrity App is now available for download at Apple’s App Store. Designed exclusively for iOS devices, this project represents an exciting new service offering from the FORT Group. The app is sure to be an invaluable resource for builders and architects, as well as Integrity field sales representatives.
Yes, I can say it for all of “us” creative types, and if you’re one of “us,” you know what I mean… we love the recognition! We want to hear that our work is well received and that we did a good job. Heck, that creative work is part of us. It’s not just what we do, it’s who we are.
There are many ways in which creative work is recognized. And honestly, all those accolades… that is what keeps us coming back for more!
Yes, touchscreens are cool and provide an enriched user experience. I myself, an avid BlackBerry user, went with the Torch because I wanted to have my cake and eat it too. Now that the iPad2 has graced my world, I’m even more “touchscreen friendly” (although, it’s still faster to bang out e-mails with a QWERTY keyboard). However, in this day and age of the interactive mobile experience, there’s something lurking out there that we don’t seem to talk about much…germs.
Yes, the FORT Group occupied most of table 9 at the NJ AD Club 43rd Annual Jersey Awards Show on Thursday evening, June 2nd. A good time was had by all. And not a bad showing by our team, as we brought home One first, Two second, and Three third place awards. Now that’s nice and neat.
On Thursday, May 12 the FORT Group exhibited at Connections – 2011 Business and Food Expo at the Meadowland Exposition Center in Secaucus. The event was hosted by the Mahwah, Meadowlands and Hackensack Regional Chambers of Commerce. This evening event allowed for companies to promote themselves and for networking as the attendees stopped by the exhibitors’ booths.
The FORT Group is proud to join dozens of dynamic companies as an exhibitor at Connections –2011 Business and Food Expo hosted by the Mahwah, Meadowlands, and Hackensack Regional Chambers of Commerce.
The expo will take place on Thursday, May 12 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, 355 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, NJ from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Connections 2011 Business & Food Expo features companies in food services, hospitality, technology, financial services, wellness, and many other industries. Expo visitors will be able to network and visit with exhibitors while participating in a myriad of raffles and experiencing great food from local restaurants.
Given the explosion of consumable media and the subsequent fragmentation of the advertising landscape, now more than ever “it’s a jungle out there” for ad agencies. It’s no wonder so many in the industry itself are eagerly anticipating the arrival of a new season of “Mad Men.” You know, it’s the show about the “good ‘ole days” of Madison Avenue where martini lunches and smoking in the office were commonplace. A time when clients actually listened to what their agency had to say and accepted their direction/advice, almost without question.
Not having been around during that era, I can only listen to the war stories of the seasoned veterans I’ve had the pleasure of meeting during my career and imagine what it was like.
Nonetheless, as much as things change, the more they stay the same; like the creative shootout for instance. Having participated in quite a of few of these over the years, there’s nothing quite like this paradoxical setting. How else would you describe a process where you can feel both euphoric and humiliated all at the same time?
In this day and age of SSI’s, KPI’s and a host of other acronyms, perhaps this video can sum it up best.
Much like the creative pitch, the truth behind this clip can elicit both humor and disgust simultaneously. In all honesty though, these are our own war stories that ultimately make up our agency DNA and shape how we shape the, sometimes elusive, creative product.
