We have no walls here at Connelly Partners.  It’s just an open floor plan with desks, tables, and a full bar in the middle.  The set up helps support collaboration and creativity, but at the same time it can be hard to do so when Ed – one of our Broadcast buyers – is tearing into a rep that missed a deadline on speaker phone ten feet away.  Therefore we require some air cover to create a sense of privacy, and that air cover comes in the form of music.

Twenty-six speakers placed throughout the agency create invisible walls for us, and a stuffed monkey (stick with me here) is passed from person to person to control what we call “Music Day” (how ‘bout that for creativity) on a daily basis.

(We could devote a whole other post on the best and worst Music Day deejays – again Ed’s name would come up often – but I’ll leave that for another time.)

We’re lucky to have a ton of music lovers here at the agency, so as you can imagine great music is discovered, discussed, and shared constantly.  Thus, I thought it would be appropriate to dedicate a post to what I think are the best albums of 2011…based on those that have been played here on a consistent basis, but also based on my personal opinion…cause hey, I’m the one writing the post.

And since this is an ad agency blog, I’d be remiss to attempt some sort of industry integration, so in the spirit of the digital age of sharing, I’ve created a Spotify playlist containing all of the albums on the list so you can play along in the fun.   After all, there’s no better way to inspire creativity than through music.  So without further ado, check out my Best 11 Albums of 2011 and feel free to let me know what I missed in comments below.

In no particular order, and follow along on Spotify here (login may be required).

Real Estate – Days

No “best of” list is complete without an indie rock band from Brooklyn, so why not start out with Days, Real Estate’s sophomore release that dropped in October.  This album flows effortlessly from start to finish and more importantly, does not try too hard to impress – a quality I seem to find with many highly lauded indie bands.  The vibe is generally laid back and contemplative rock, but the shuffling beat moves the record right along, making this an ideal road trip companion.  Check out the tunes “It’s Real” and “Easy” for a snapshot of what Real Estate has to offer.  My guess is that you’ll be back for more.

The Wood Brothers – Smoke Ring Halo

People may be familiar with Chris Wood (MMW) and his masterful work with the upright bass, but what impresses me most with the Wood Brothers is the straight-from-the-soul vocals from band mate and brother, Oliver Wood.  His voice is confidant and raw, complementing the folksy blues sound that the brothers create so effortlessly.  As for the other half, Chris’s bass work brings the instrument to the forefront, treating it like a lead guitar rather than a traditional backbone (or in some cases, playing both parts at the same time).  Try not to bop your head to bass line in “When I was Young” or sing along at the top of your lungs to the chorus of “Mary Anna.”  A great record to remind us that sometimes all you need is a guitar and couple friends to create something special…or at least something real.

Tedeschi Trucks Band – Revelator

Moving from a folk/blues/soul duo to a folk/blues/soul band of ’11, we have the Tedeschi Trucks Band; a combination of husband and wife Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s individual bands to create a truly unique family affair.  I’m not sure my words need to prove this record, instead let’s just take a look at the talent involved: Derek Trucks, arguably one of the best guitarists alive today; Susan Tedeschi, a proven and unique voice that has captivated audiences around the world; and a supporting cast of excellent musicians ranging from the Burbridge brothers to vocalist Mike Mattison.  Professional to the max, but not overly produced, Revelator is a record that combines soul, passion and expertise with little left to be desired.  Take a listen to “Midnight in Harlem” to see how all these pieces come together to make one of my favorite overall tracks of the year.

Dawes – Nothing is Wrong

Dawes is my favorite new discovery of 2011.  Nothing compares to hearing a band for the first time and instantly knowing that you will be a fan for life.  Nothing is Wrong, the band’s second album (after the excellent debut North Hills), sounds like it could have come out in the late seventies along with Tom Petty and CSNY records, but at the same time is as fresh as its 2011 born on date.  SoCal based brothers Taylor and Griffen Goldsmith lead the way with gorgeous harmonies and infections chorus hooks, transporting you to a Venice Beach barbeque at sunset.  The songwriting is no joke either, check out ballads “So Well” and “Million Dollar Bill” for heart crushing tales of loneliness and loss….I guess when it comes to love and rock n’ roll, some things never change.

Radiohead – The King of Limbs

Radiohead has the unfortunate challenge of competing against arguably the best band in the world with every new release…themselves.  Older instant classics aside (OK Computer, Kid A, etc), the band released The King of Limbs after the widely lauded In Rainbows (2007) and was facing an uphill battle to top themselves (again) from the start.  But in typical Radiohead fashion, they offered something entirely different with this album, and while it may not be as accessible as its predecessor, it is so masterfully crafted that the work cannot be ignored.  Tight drum patterns, delicately layered guitar leads, and York’s tortured voice soaked in reverb dominate much of the album, creating a rich soundscape that requires multiple listens to truly appreciate.  Radiohead didn’t top themselves, they just created something entirely new and different, which is what it’s all about in the end, right?

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Gorgeous.

M83 – Hurry Up We’re Dreaming

With Hurry Up We’re Dreaming, M83 (aka Anthony Gonzalez) has created the ultimate cinematic soundtrack to your life.  The album’s ethereal sound invites your mind to wander, and to wonder.  And like the best dreams, you envision yourself doing the most amazing things, fueled by these aspirational soundscapes molding your personal movie montage.  As you listen to fist pumping anthems such as “Midnight City” you see yourself walking past the line at the club, nodding to the bouncer and heading straight in to the VIP section.  “Steve McQueen” inserts you in for Gonzalez on the festival stage, controlling the thousands of fans yearning for more.  The infectious cuteness of “Raconte-Moi Une Histoire” leaves you smiling as you think about all good times with family and friends, while blocking out all the bad.

Every once and while we all need this type of release in life, and M83 has provides the portal to dream it up with this amazing album.  But at the end of the day, we know deep down that this is the soundtrack to the life of the person we dream to be, rather than the person that we are…and that’s totally fine.

Wilco – The Whole Love

No one quite sounds like Wilco.  They’ve run the gauntlet of styles over their 17 year career ranging from alt-country sways in Being There and A.M. to the experimental rock bug outs of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Ghost is Born to the more recent pop-friendly records Sky Blue Sky and Wilco The Album.  The Whole Love celebrates all the unique styles the band has embraced throughout their career, and arranges them in chapters to create a mood that evolves throughout the album.  The trip starts with an experimental journey down the rabbit hole with the “Art of Almost,” and remains a bit dark until more neutral tunes like “Born Alone” and “Capitol City” lift us from the gloom.  Then, like an awakening, Tweedy sings “I found a fix for the fits, come listen to this” in “Red Rising Lung” and ushers us into an excellently positive affirmation with the subsequent title track.  It’s as if Tweedy is telling the story of his life with this album – how it can so quickly succumb to addiction, and how we can use that pain to become a better person for the future.  The Whole Love teaches how to respect the sum of our parts, and to learn from the bad as much as we do from the good.

The Black Keys – El Camino

So enough of this deep insight crap…sometimes you just want to throw on some tunes that will have you pounding the wheel as you head home for the long awaited weekend.  And when that time comes, this is the disc to throw in.  Guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney currently hold the keys to modern rock – a genre that is losing ground to the candy pop competition with every passing day – and they aren’t looking back.  This is a band to be seen and experienced live, and I for one can’t wait to check them out next year as they headline the first US arena tour of their career.

Bon Iver – Bon Iver

By now anyone familiar with good music knows the story of Bon Iver, aka Justin Vernon.  It’s simple really: boy meets girl, girl dumps boy, boy spends a Wisconsin winter in a cabin out in the woods by himself and creates one of the best albums of the 2008 (if not the decade) with For Emma, Forever Ago.  With the wide critical acclaim, you’d think Vernon would possibly crumble under the pressure when crafting his follow up effort, but instead he storms back with Bon Iver.  Bon Iver – a powerful record that retains the emotion from the debut but captures it in an entirely different manner.  Where Emma is sparse and raw, Bon Iver is rich and produced – offering up to a dozen instruments on some tracks (not to mention “Sergio” – esque saxophone solos).  However, both succeed in isolating the listener from the world around them.  Listen to this album with headphones on and you could be in the middle of Times Square and feel like the only person there.  It haunts as much as it humbles – in “Halocene” Vernon sings “and at once I knew I was not magnificent / hulled far from the highway mile / jagged vacance, thick with ice / I could see for miles, miles, miles.”  Maybe he never left that cabin after all.

The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart

Every few years a record comes along that is burned in your brain, and you just can’t get enough, spinning it on repeat till the disc (or tape – yikes) breaks from overuse.  For me, a few favorites come to mind.  “Ten” and “August and Everything After” arrived as I really started to appreciate music on my own instead of just listening to whatever was fed to me.  Radiohead’s Ok Computer literally stopped me in my tracks, allowing me to hear what music could be beyond straight ahead rock/pop.  The Strokes’ This is It found me transitioning from college to the real world, and its indifferent garage rock aesthetic was a fitting soundtrack for my life at the time.

Unfortunately in the current digital era, it is increasingly difficult for bands to make a statement with a full cohesive album, as consumption favors charting singles over long form “growers.”   Thankfully, The Head and the Heart ignored the trend and put forth such an album with their self-titled debut.  The six piece band met at an open mic in Seattle in 2009 and months later were passing out burned copies of an early version of the record to future fans (the final product was re-mastered and officially released by Sub Pop in 2011).  The sound captures that exciting newness which must have been prevalent in the studio, probably not unlike that friend of yours that can’t stop texting his new girlfriend.  Likewise, the folk tinged tunes echo that feeling, dripping with beautiful harmonies and melodies throughout.  Instead of calling out individual tracks do yourself a favor and listen to this one all the way through, and remember what it’s like to fall in love with a record all over again.

Thanks for reading and again, check out and share a Spotify Playlist of all the albums listed above here (login may be required).

Honorable Mentions

Adele – 21

My Morning Jacket – Circuital

White Denim – D

Middle Brother – Middle Brother

Toro y Moi – Beneath the Pine

The Decemberists – The King is Dead

The Antlers – Burst Apart

Ryan Adams – Ashes and Fire

Washed Out – Within and Without

The year 2012 is going to be completely content driven.

And by completely, I mean, for the most part, completamente.  And by content, I mean, anything that your brand is saying, producing, or depicting, that can, ultimately, be shared, heard, or liked.  And by driven, I mean, the success factor (or X Factor, like the show – wait, what?).

Does your brand need Likes, followers, subscribers, views, engagement, awareness, and affinity? Of course it does, and there are a handful of ways to see those numbers increase – be it Facebook ads, Sponsored Tweets, or other paid means of activation – but there is one X Factor that is going to be catalyst of 2012.

Content.

Part of my job is to read every piece of material written on marketing, advertising, and social media, that I can get my hands on – you can’t miss a beat in this industry.  So, per usual, I came across this fun read on 18 Insightful 2012 Marketing Predictions From the Experts via the good folks over at HubSpot, and consequently, there was a heavy focus on content across each expert prediction.

Mind you, I’m already a huge fan of content.  And we all are.  That’s why we watched two babies have a conversation 56,354,483 times, and certainly why this dog grabbed our attention 76,914,870 times.

But what about for a brand, as opposed to just viral-greatness?

Well, when I tapped into some of the insight from the HubSpot read, I was all-ears; I wanted everything that I had been thinking for the past year to be verified – consumers want to be entertained, they want empathy, and they want to share.

HubSpot kicked-it-off with one important open-ender: In 2012, companies will get found online by…

The takeaway? Content.  In 2012, companies will get found online by the way in which they utilize content.

How will they need to utilize content?  According to the experts, the answers are along the lines of the following:

Content will need to be compelling.  Content will need to be produced in real-time, at the right time, with a sense of fluency across channels.  And, content will need to be aimed at the right social influencers to further enhance its consumer reach.

My thoughts? Yes, yes, and yes.

That’s why I’m going to buy The Art of Flight on DVD, why I have a niche for anything about the man who walked around the world, and, undoubtedly, why I bought everyone in my family a pair of TOMS Shoes for Christmas.

In 2012, it’s all about content.

Whether it’s a matter of surrounding your brand with cats, calling on a comedic genius as a spokesperson, or defining a greater good with a cause-driven initiative, your brand will succeed in the content that it produces.

Good luck, and many the viral-views, Likes, and followers be with you.

In a study released last week in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers put forth evidence that creative people are more prone to be dishonest, and that creativity is a predictor of unethical behavior.

Needless to say, we took the accusations personally.  Sure, maybe we copied an answer or two on a history test back in 10^th grade, but does that mean that Connelly Partners is rife with potential Ken Lays and Bernie Madoffs?

The researchers say that creativity has a dark side in ethical situations.  When given the opportunity to bend the rules, creative people are more likely to choose the unethical solution and then justify their actions.  This is the part of the research that you’ve likely read online or heard on NPR.  

The general takeaway from these pieces is this: Creative people are bad – they’ll cheat, and then lie to cover it up. In contrast, those who follow the rules by rote are set up as the good guys.

But what is lost in these summaries of the research is the ‘how’ and the ‘why.’

Creative people aren’t just cheaters and liars.  The researchers also call them ‘divergent thinkers’ and ‘cognitively flexible.’  That sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t it?

What it means is that creative thinkers are able to develop original ideas and find multiple solutions to a given problem.  We can look at a situation and restructure what we see depending on the situation.

Another takeaway from this research? Creative people can find novel and innovative ways to solve tough problems. 

We’re going to go out on a limb and say that the people that you probably want as your partner are the people who can look at something that you’ve been struggling with and bring forth fresh ideas.

We creative-types are good to have around; trust us on this one.

There’s a reason why 86% of our agency answered “sleep” when I polled the question, “What will you do with the extra hour this weekend?”

If you think about it, this was an open-ended question that could have delivered a wealth of material not fit to put into this blog. In an agency where there are many witty people, I would have expected at least one witty answer.

However, the majority answered, “sleep!” Not just sleep. Sleep!

As part of our practice in CP Wellness, we are constantly looking for ways to analyze what wellness means to our clients’ brands.

Sleep is a big issue in wellness that is often overlooked. Let me tell you why…

We are faced daily with the expectation to multitask. We read our email off our phones as we walk in and out of the building. We are thinking about brands, juggling our jobs and lives, and picking up kids from school – all at the same time; it’s endless.

What’s the one thing that gets sacrificed? Sleep. Because in our minds, we can function on 5 hours sleep and still perform our duties as professionals or parents or whatever else we do. It’s the one thing that constantly falls under the radar in our overtasked schedules.

But here’s the interesting thing, not only did the parents answer “sleep,” but the younger 25-30 year old employees with no kids answered “sleep,” as well. In fact, I think those are the answers that had the most exclamation points.

Sleep is a “primary food” (along with relationships, personal passions, etc.). It’s just as important to our health as the food we put into our bodies. There are several scientific studies that give us validation that we all need roughly 8 hours of sleep.  The most interesting thing I’ve come across is that there is a direct correlation with the frontal lobe of your brain in relation to sleep deprivation. That part of your brain is associated with speech, as well as novel and creative thinking.

We are an idea-driven business that relies on novel and creative thinking. Perhaps slurred speech isn’t enough of a barrier to be concerned (we do have a bar in the center of our office, after all).  But what this tells me is if you don’t get enough sleep, you cannot be creative.

We’ve all been there. We’ve all forced the ideas out. It takes a little more to get there, but you get there. But what if there was a state of mind where ideas happened freely and creativity was fluid? And according to these studies, all we really need is a bit more sleep? Fascinating.

Clients: get ready; Monday is going to be a highly productive day.

Happy Halloween from Connelly Partners

It’s officially Halloween, October 31st, 2011.

Pumpkins are carved, candy is up for grabs, and hopefully we have all been able to wow the crowds at weekend Halloween parties with our mind-blowing costumes.

Though, let’s be real; as an ad agency, specifically, an agency that lives, breathes, and sleeps each and every one of its brands, how can we possibly balance all of the Halloween festivities within the work place?

Easily.  We be ourselves, decorate the hell out of some cupcakes, and we share some fun Halloween costume-related stories from over the years.

That said, here’s a round up of the best costumes from around the office and over the years, that all of us at Connelly Partners would like to share.

Enjoy, have fun tonight, and be safe.  Happy Halloween!

1970’s: Star Wars – Luke + Leia – Wins the best bro/sis costume award

1975: Adam 12 Police Officer – Wins the award for a costume that no-one born after 1970 knows about

1980: Strawberry Shortcake – Wins the award for most-worn costume by preschool aged girls in 1980

1987: A baseball trading card – Wins the award for ingenuity (picture frame around torso and taped player stats on back) – brilliant!

1998: Wolf Man – Wins the award for trying to be Michael Jackson in thriller, without going the zombie route

1999: Frozen Titanic Passengers – Wins the award for coooolest costume

2004: Dracula – Wins the award for beating the Twilight vampire fascination to the punch, one year in advance

2004: Duct Tape Mummy – Wins the award for the stickiest costume

2005: Alligator Hunter Steve Erwin – Wins the award for most animal-friendly (RIP Steve)

2007: JFK – Wins the award for most political and historical

2007: “Sex on the Beach” (not the drink) – Wins the award for most romantic

2009: a Banana – Wins the award for highest potassium value

2009: A Jersey Shore guy – Win’s the award for classiest costume

2009: Police Officer (Son) and a Criminal (Mom) – Wins the award for the best Mom/Son combo costume

2010: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Donatello and Raphael – Wins the award for being awesome

2010: Zuul from Ghostbusters – Wins the award for creepiest without being that creepy

2010: “Captured by King Kong” – Wins the award for most cinematic

2010: Beaker, The Muppet Show – Wins the award for most scientific

2010: Chilean Miner with his wife and mistress – Wins the award for digging deep

The best perk of working at CP isn't the bar, the ping-pong table, or the trips to Disney. It's the people.

Stuff is always changing in this business…

Check out our new website – well, it’s new to you, but we’ve been working on it for months – nonetheless, it’s change.

We have a whole new collection of people working here, fifteen new faces in all.  Change.  We had a new toilet installed in “bathroom number three” and switched from Coke to Pepsi in our vending machine. Two changes, though, completely unrelated.

We’ve both lost some business and won some business; and, undoubtedly, the agency is bigger this year than we were last year. Change.

Here’s what doesn’t change at 46 Waltham Street – where we believe great marketing is born – we have always been, and always will be, a place that believes the best ideas are initiated outside of our walls, rather than inside of them.

Over the years, marketing has become a business of isolationists – lock yourself up inside your office, day and night, and make yourself laugh, think, and purchase.  The problem is that perspective and empathy cannot be assumed, they must be earned by living.

Want to better understand and connect with people outside of advertising? Then you better have a life outside of advertising.

Observe. Converse. Listen. Our passion and perspective that the more you understand people, the more effective you will be connecting with them – that has always been the strength of this place.

The CP mandate is not just to out-work everyone in our business, but to out-live them, as well. You must have a life outside of here or, unfortunately, you’re living the lie and the life of a detached, assumptive, book smart, though, life savvy-lacking trail guide who’s never gone anywhere without Googling the directions. That’s not us. We know where we’re going because we’ve been there.

Welcome to Connelly Partners and the new www.connellypartners.com. A home for exceptional people with normal lives. Hard-working, easy-going people with serious life experiences that make our messages better, our campaigns more successful, and our people just plain nicer.

We just built two new conference rooms. Change. We just got the roof to stop leaking. We hope. Change. People full of life, not themselves. Unchanged. Keep smiling. Life feels better when you do.

Photo used under Creative Commons license from .reid

Since Google introduced its “+1” feature, we @ CP have been discussing (both internally and with many of our clients) the impact of Social Media and/or “Earned Media” on search engine results and digital brand-building in general…

It’s no secret that social media and search marketing are quickly intersecting into what is now called, “Social Search”. The Social impact on Search will be profound and will allow brands to engage through various strategies and techniques using Google +1, Facebook “Like”, Bing and Twitter. By developing engaging social media strategies, brands will increase their global search results and get their social content visible and shared more frequently. In addition, as brands increase their social footprint, they will no doubt be able to take advantage of users who are motivated to share branded content with their social circles thus igniting a “momentum effect.”

Despite all the technology options, people’s social instincts remain one of the strongest ways for brands to gain credibility. Brands that increase their social positioning will benefit and increase ‘brand awareness’ and ultimately conversions. Brands should seriously consider brand building by giving consumers the ability to “like” or “+1” their content, products and/or services.

There are two ways we know it’s summer at CP. One, the Green Monkeys, our legendary softball team, take the field. Two, we set to work creating work for D’Angelo’s incredible lobster sandwiches, usually partnering with the Red Sox.

I recently sat down* with Digital Creative Director Eric Sutton and Copywriter Nick Nelson to discuss their campaign, which features lobster “scouts” looking for fresh talent for D’Angelo’s lobster sandwich line up.

(*Actually, I sent them both an email questionnaire. Sit-downs are reserved for official meetings and Mafiosi.)

How did you come up with your campaign idea?

Nick: We got really emotional thinking about all the lobsters that never make it. The ones that put all their hopes and dreams into becoming professionally stuffed into toasted, buttered rolls. Forced to live out their days in obscurity at the bottom of an ocean going through box after box of tissue while watching the lobster equivalent of Bull Durham.

Do you imagine there’s a farm team for D’Angelo’s lobster line up?

Nick: No, that’s silly.

Eric: Yes. They are The Dedham Claws.

[Editor’s note: who looks silly now, Nick?]

What do lobster scouts look for in lobsters?

Eric: The endgame is deliciousness, but how you find it is a hotly debated topic in the lobster community. The old guard relies on their gut. They are being overshadowed by a new wave of statistics known as Lobstermetrics. I personally believe that with the advancements made in analyzing Meatiness Factor, LORP (Lobster Over Replacement Player), LIYB (Lobsters In Your Belly), among others, we will see deliciousness measured in our lifetime.

Nick: Plate coverage is a big thing. Claw size is also a good indicator for potential.

If you could be in D’Angelo’s lobster line up, which position/sandwich would you be and why?

Eric: I would be a Hairy Man Sandwich batting between the Classic Lobster Roll and the Lobster Club. Because all I have to offer the sandwich world is man meat and hair.

[Editor’s note: this will not be being added to D’Angelo’s line up, for obvious reasons.]

Nick: The Lobster Club would be the obvious answer. A little too obvious. So I’ll go with the Traditional Lobster Sandwich—something ironically cool about how plain and simple it is.

Keep an eye out for our Lobster Nation spots on TV, and be sure to check
out the talent that our scouts have discovered at D’Angelo.