Where are all these pink snails coming from?

By Daniel Timiraos

   Look anywhere around the City of Coral Gables and you’re bound to run into them. Snails. Big pink ones. At first they just blended in during the morning commute. Lack of coffee in the morning will do that to you. But a lunchtime walk around the city confirms their big pink existence. Listen to some jazz at the Coral Gables Museum and there’s one of them to keep you company. Head up the traffic circle on Coral Way, there’s another to greet you. So what are they and where did they come from?

   The snails, which symbolize nature, were created from recycled materials and leave a minimal carbon footprint. To make a long story short, they were originally set up in Miami Beach for Art Basel. Apparently, they were not very well received, seeing as one of them ended up in the ocean. Seems like they found a quieter home in the Gables. Some people seem to like them, others not so much. Here are some articles if you want to hear more about the big pink snails.

Pink snails find more pleasant home in Coral Gables - MiamiHerald.com
Pink Snails Trek To Coral Gables - CBS Miami
Pinksnails - Galleria Ca' D'oro - Pink Snails
Stupid Pink Snails Moving to Stupid Coral Gables - Miami New Times 

   Whether you like them or not they will be around for a bit. And who knows, when they're gone they just might be missed. Let us know what you think of them.

Creatives are Kooks.

By: Olivia Errasti, VSBrooks Advertising

   One of the things that really attracted me to the advertising industry is the unconventional work environment. Advertising agencies are known for having playrooms and cool office designs with fun wall colors and some of the latest gadgets and programs. Yes, it’s different and most definitely fun to work in an advertising agency, or at least it’s very much so at VSBrooks Adevrtising, but it’s not just for the hell of it. To be a successful ad agency is to have forward-thinking, kick-ass creative. Creatives are asked to pump out so much work in such a short amount of time that in order to keep them producing fresh, quality ideas, they need room to bug around. Every single creative at VSBrooks Advertising has their own method of ideating, and from an outsider’s perspective, the process is pretty entertaining.
   Vivian Santos, Executive Creative Director, takes what I call the Omm approach. When she is brainstorming she retreats into her office, door closed, and does not speak to a soul until her chi has aligned and her mind is hyper-focused. Every once in a while, though, you’ll catch her with her door open. Vivian sits in her chair, leaned all the way back, legs spread out and locked forward, with hands behind her head as she looks up at the ceiling. You would think she was waiting for a police officer to pat her down for paraphernalia.
   Then you have Danny Timiraos, our Senior Art Director. His design process is probably the most normal, but that’s relative. Danny sits in front of his computer in a far away, forgotten corner of the office and clicks away. ALL. DAY. LONG. He is swifter with a mouse and computer than a teenage girl is texting away on her cell phone. Watching him design is about as interesting as watching a librarian reshelf books. They’re doing a lot of the same thing, but in the end everything is in its place and looks astonishing. Danny’s final product is clean, crisp, and beautiful artwork.
   Alejandro Barreras, Creative Services, has the most active method in our office. He’s got a desk with a comfy chair and huge, snazzy monitor. Yet he hardly sits there while he is brainstorming. Alejandro is usually doing one of three things while he is generating ideas:

(1) wandering around the office, taking everything in as if he’s seeing it for the first time,
(2) sitting on one of our couches, laptop where it’s designed to be, that is…wait for it…wait for it…on his lap, or
(3) shooting at a coworker with one of the fully automatic Nerf guns in our arsenal.
In case you were wondering, yes, we have worker’s comp.
   I don’t exactly know how our creatives’ processes lead to such wonderful work, but the proof is in the pudding. Their "beerstorming" (the act of brainstorming within an alcohol-fueled environment) and lollygagging has led to multiple awards for the agency, and as someone in account services, the best part is sitting back, enjoying the show, and sometimes even taking part in the Nerf gun battles. What do the creatives around your office do?

Sometimes fighting hunger is just a walk on the beach.

   Some of the most rewarding work we do at the agency is for Feeding South Florida, an organization dedicated to "wage a war" against hunger. It's a noble purpose and they mean "war" quite literally - take a look at some of the work we have done to promote their cause, complete with camo gear and dog tags.

   FSF has organized the 5K Walk/Run March 4 Hunger, this Saturday March 12, from 7:30 to 10:30 am, along the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk. And of course, the VSBrooks team will be there, marching with them.

   Most of us are fortunate to sit at a full table each day and don't have to worry where our next meal is coming from. But for too many of our fellow Floridians, hunger is an every day reality. We can make a difference. For every dollar raised, Feeding South Florida can provide nine pounds of food and grocery items. Think about that for a second. For the price of a typical lunch, a hungry person could eat for several days.

   This is why we encourage you to spend a couple hours of your Saturday (nice weather for a walk on the beach!) and help achieve a great turnout for this worthy cause. Registration is $25 in advance or $35 the day of the race.

   To register, visit Split Second Timing or check out Feeding South Florida's wepage for more details.