Wednesday, August 13, 2008

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Missed all the daily wrap up videos from the Plaid summer tour? No worries. Enjoy this compilation of the best moments from PlaidNation 2008. We're already counting down the days till 2009!

Labels: plaid, plaid summertour

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:32 PM   0 comments

Monday, August 4, 2008

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Phew. Another year on the road has screamed past faster than a Plaid van at 85MPH.

If you haven't had a chance to check in, or missed some key moments, now's a great time to catch up on the most glorious tour ever to hit the highways. PlaidNation 2008.

See all of the daily wrap up videos here. It's the next best thing to being there.

See the interviews and extra footage here. The interviews with Robert Scoble, Biz Stone and Cathy Brooks (coming later this week) are extra remarkable.

Read the Twitter stream. If you're new to Twitter (or just bored at work), this is a great way to see it's value. An entire tour has been documented (and archived) moment by moment, as it was happening. Reading the stream is like re-living the tour.

Watch the 11:40 shows. These vidcasts were recorded live at 11:40, wherever the van happened to be at that moment. You'll see additional discussion about what happened on tour, with extra detail brought to the show by the people on the tour. The most popular episode: Plaid gets kicked out of a popular celebrity cemetery in Hollywood, California.

Check out the Flickr photo stream. Better than your Aunt Lucie's vacation to the Galapagos Islands, you'll see other workplaces, cool locations and Plaid employees mostly avoiding trouble.

We've put all of this and more together for you, on the tour dashboard at PlaidNation.com

Thanks to everyone who wrote about it, talked about it, or became a part of it. We're already in planning mode for next year's tour, and have some incredible surprises. Just wait until 2009!

Labels: plaid, plaid summertour, selfpromotion

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:38 PM   0 comments

Sunday, July 27, 2008

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If you're not already glued to your computer watching every detail, be sure to check in on the second annual Plaid Summer Tour - now in its second week, on the west coast. This week Plaid will be spending time in San Francisco, San Louis Obispo, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas.

We'll be meeting brands, creative people and interesting characters along the way. Watch it all live on the van cams, video, Twitter stream and more - all on the tour's dashboard at PlaidNation.com

Labels: plaid, plaid summertour, selfpromotion

posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:11 PM   2 comments

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

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Our second annual Plaid summer tour is just days away from kicking into high gear! Be sure to bookmark the tour dashboard and watch the tour live all day, every day starting July 21!

Tell your boss that you're not being unproductive - but that you're busy researching how to put the latest social media tools into action. And then get back to watching the live webcams, as the Plaid van gets pulled over by the California Highway Patrol. Or whatever the crew might be up to.

Labels: plaid, plaid summertour, selfpromotion

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:11 AM   0 comments

Thursday, June 19, 2008

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Our coworker Sara was featured on CNN today! She's a girl of a million stories - so we're not surprised. She's featured in a piece about tattoos and the workplace. (Plaid is obviously the kind of joint that appreciates good body ink.)

We're fully expecting Anderson Cooper to show up at the front door any day now, asking for Sara. If Larry King understood what a tattoo was, or could stay awake long enough, we're sure he'd be interviewing her too. Donny Deutsch is soooo jealous that he missed this story. Nice job Sara!!!

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 3:56 PM   1 comments

Saturday, June 14, 2008

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Plaid - the greatest agency in all of the land is looking for a new designer! Creative Genius! Lover of the internet! Person who gets paid to make things on a Mac! (We're not much on titles.)

Stuff you'll do:
Work on the most awesome projects and create the most wonderous designs.
Work with really cool clients, and one or two less-than-cool clients
Collaborate with the most talented bunch of creatives ever to grace the earth

Stuff you have:
+ At least 2 years design experience
+ Kick ass portfolio, with especially strong interactive work (you don't have to be a coder)
+ Good grasp on the latest internet tools
+ Good energy. Fun to be with.
+ Awesome sense of humor.

Stuff that would be awesome, but not required:
+ You have a Facebook profile, and/or participate in social media
+ You don't like Celine Dion, as an artist.
+ You enjoy doing stupid things and documenting them on a company blog. (Like Steph, who just ate 10 Pixie Stix at once, in the photo above)

Work at the best agency ever created by humans.
Open office, open books. No politics. For real.
Really fun, collaborative and energetic work environment.
Half day Fridays in the summertime, planning trips to fun places, and an office Segway.
100% paid health benefits, 401(k) plan, and super aggressive profit sharing.

Send resume and a link to some of your work, to darryl AT thinkplaid DOT com, with "designer" in the subject line. (If you've sent a resume in the last 3 months - you're already in consideration. Feel free to confirm that we have it on file.)

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 4:55 PM   1 comments

Friday, May 23, 2008

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Sara's bobble head arrived. We think it looks awesome. Now it's off to be photographed, and get star treatment, before being featured on our Meet the Staff page.

Moments later, her new business cards walked in the door. (With the help of a delivery boy.) She's got the most awesome title on her card: Duchess of Awesome. Sweet.

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:41 AM   1 comments

Thursday, April 17, 2008

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We just received our agency's first eeePC. Unboxing video above. Pretty cool.

Labels: lifeatplaid, plaid

posted by darryl ohrt @ 10:05 AM   2 comments

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

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Plaid, the greatest agency in all of the land, is hiring a Project Manager. Producer. Cattle herder. Whateveryoucallit.

Stuff you'll do:
Manage all aspects of projects for design and branding firm.
Interact with (mostly cool) clients, (totally cool) creatives and (awesome) partners from around the country.
Get stuff done.
Get stuff done on time.
Get stuff done on budget.

Stuff you have:
Previous agency experience preferred, interactive experience a bonus. Great communicator, fantastic people skills, and organization/planning skills that will make us look awesome. Understanding of the production process relative to a design and brand firm.

Stuff that would be awesome, but not required:
+ You have a Facebook profile, and participate in social media
+ You've heard of the Beastie Boys
+ Previous experience with Basecamp or other project management software
+ You like conducting experiments like "what does a Segway sound like when riding over bubblewrap?" (answer above)

Work at the best agency ever created by humans.
Open office, open books. No politics. For real.
Really fun, collaborative and energetic work environment.
Half day Fridays in the summertime, planning trips to fun places, and an office Segway.
100% paid health benefits, 401(k) plan, and super aggressive profit sharing.

Send resume to darryl AT thinkplaid DOT com, with "producer" in the subject line.

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:57 AM   6 comments

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

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Maybe you've heard a little something about Sarah. Or her interview with Mark Zuckerberg. We caught up with her at a party while at SXSW, and asked her the most important question of all....does she love Plaid?

Labels: plaid, selfpromotion

posted by darryl ohrt @ 2:36 AM   0 comments

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

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Bored at your own office? Watch ours. Check in on the Plaid Bathroom cam, and monitor Plaid employees as they enter and exit the bathroom.

Or visit one of the Plaid brainstorm areas, and see if anything's going on.

If you see anyone in the bathroom area for TOO long, please notify Plaid management. They like to keep an eye on things like that.

Labels: lifeatplaid, plaid, space

posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:35 AM   1 comments

Saturday, February 2, 2008

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We decided this week that we're officially embarking on a Plaid summer tour. If you missed it last year, we outfit a Plaid van with the latest technology and social media, and fill it with a few agency staffers, and drive. And drive.

Last year, the tour took us from NYC to Dallas. We met some fun and interesting people, brands and agencies along the way. Last year we shared the entire experience on line, with the latest social media tools. This year will be even better.

Our 2008 tour will take place on the west coast. Sometime in July. We're still debating the exact markets where we'll stop, and the route details. One of the routes we're really digging is Vancouver to Vegas. With California in between. Sounds fabulous.

Once we have exact dates arranged, we'll be telling the world. If you're located anywhere on our route - please let us know - we'd love to stop by and say hi!

Once planning gets into full swing, we'll share the details on our tour site, PlaidNation. (Right now, you can see what last year's dashboard looks like.)

See you on the road!

Labels: plaid, plaid summertour

posted by darryl ohrt @ 3:13 PM   0 comments

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If everything goes to plan, we'll be moving internet workers into our new addition next week. They installed our custom paneled wall, and it looks beautious. Better than we ever expected. Some staining (and some more painting) will take place on Monday. Wednesday (fingers crossed) will bring carpet, and then we're in. Once it's all done, we'll share pics of the entire Plaid space, for all to see.

Labels: plaid, space

posted by darryl ohrt @ 3:07 PM   0 comments

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

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The addition to our space has been separated from our current space with a huge wall of plastic. To protect us from the evils of sheetrock dust. Today, the plastic wall came down. Kind of cool, because the new space now flows into our existing space.

They've finished painting, and the custom wood paneling gets installed on Thursday. And the paneling will need to be stained. Then it's carpet, and lights - and we're in!

Labels: plaid, space

posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:30 PM   0 comments

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

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The world's greatest design and branding firm is seeking a full-time web developer/programmer. Front-end web coding, working directly with our designers.

Skillz you've mastered:
+ Intimately familiar with some of these (more is good): html, javascript, Ajax, Flash, PHP.
+ Ability to write code. The old fashioned way - not just with wysiwyg tools.
+ Great communication skills, with ability to explain any of the above to designers and clients and people who generally won't know what you're talking about.

Plaid is the coolest agency in all of the world, sporting clients from entertainment industry to action sports to consumer brands and b2b. Name brands you know, and stuff you've never heard of. No cubicles. Open workplace, open books and open management philosophies.

Extremely relaxed and fun work environment, where you'll never wear khakis. (Unless you're into that sort of thing.) Profit sharing, 401(k), 100% paid health benefits, and a salary lower than you'd get at the big stressful agency. (And you won't have to work 18 hours/day, like at the big agency, either.)

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:09 AM   0 comments

Sunday, January 20, 2008

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Giuli was just promoted to the position of Producer! She'll now be responsible for managing all projects at our agency. She'll be the point person for clients to get project updates, keep projects on budget, on time, and work with our creatives to get them the tools and information they need. Basically, she'll be making sure that our agency actually delivers on the promises that people like myself make.

We've never had anyone in this position before. In the past, things like this have been handled by designers, by Giuli, or by Diana and myself. Our agency has grown quite a bit over the last year, and we really needed someone to keep all of us on task. Since Giuli's been performing this role at least half the time anyway, we thought it was a good idea to turn this into a full-fledged position. Hopefully it won't go to her head, where she starts wearing that hat and sunglasses around the office.

So - got a question? Ask Giuli. Need something done? Ask Giuli. Not sure who those revisions go to? Ask Giuli. Sounds like maybe she's turned into a search engine.

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:40 PM   0 comments

Friday, January 18, 2008

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Part-time office assistant
The greatest design and branding agency in all of the land is now seeking a p/t office person.

Vendor coordination, billing and invoicing, purchasing, travel arrangements, and millions of little things that we can't begin to predict. (Things like "purchase a hot dog costume" or "find out what hairspray is best for a mohawk")

Work Monday - Friday, half days. Super bitchin' work environment includes loud music, fun people and collaborative workspace. We promise at least a 25% fun to work ratio. $15/hr. (You won't get rich here, but you'll have a bunch of fun.)

Prior experience should include good internet surfing skills, and Microsoft Office (yech) experience. Quickbooks or basic accounting experience a plus. Facebook profile a super bonus.

Send resume to darryl AT thinkplaid.com

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 4:21 PM   0 comments

Thursday, January 17, 2008

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They knocked down the wall separating our current space from the new space! Actually...they let us do it.

That is, they took out all of the nails, cut all of the boards, and prepared the wall in just the right manner so that a designer-type person might be physically capable of pulling down the wall. Even someone that works in front of a computer all day, and makes pretty things. Even someone that has never picked up a hammer. You get the picture.

Anyway, you can watch David in the clip above get the satisfaction of his lifetime as he busts through the wall like a fireman. And then Justus brings the house down. Almost literally. Power, internet and all. Oooh boy.

Labels: plaid, space

posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:41 PM   0 comments

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Deliveries are arriving on a regular basis here, and have us more stoked than ever. Yesterday, our egg chairs arrived. Our place is going to be awesome, once the construction is done.

Labels: plaid, space

posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:22 AM   0 comments

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Today they remove the wall that's separating our current space from the new addition. Kind of exciting. That is, if you consider wall knocking demolition exciting. And really, who doesn't??

(And why do video processors always choose the most unflattering time to pick the thumbnail?)

Labels: plaid, space

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:41 AM   0 comments

Thursday, January 10, 2008

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Here's what the construction dudes were up to, while they should have been working on our new addition. That's Joe, showing us a little hammer time.

Labels: plaid, space

posted by darryl ohrt @ 5:15 PM   1 comments

Friday, December 28, 2007

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They've completed what is essentially the shell to our new addition. The roof is up, and walls complete. Windows have been ordered, and should be here by next week. We've met with the electrician to discuss ethernet drops, power outlets and phones.

So far, it looks like we're on schedule to be complete by end of January/early February. We're getting excited - and our existing space is getting tight. We now have one desk that's shared by THREE part-timers, and we'll have a new hire starting in the next few months, too. We need this space, bad.

Labels: plaid, space

posted by darryl ohrt @ 3:02 PM   0 comments

Sunday, December 9, 2007

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We've prepared our annual Plaid holiday cards, and dropped them at the post office for delivery. The post office hates us.

This year's card is especially special. Like an after school Christmas special. Read whatever you want into that.

If you're on our list, keep an eye on your mailbox this week, and be sure that your mailman is extremely careful with our delicate and important package.

Labels: plaid, selfpromotion

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:22 AM   1 comments

Friday, December 7, 2007

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They delivered lumber for the first stage of our addition. Because our space is located on the roof of our building, they had to bring everything up on a crane. Kind of exciting for a bunch of creative people. I'm sure we didn't get in the way or annoy the construction dudes at all. They're probably used to people dancing around, with digital and video cameras.

They moved our patio to the other side of our space, and it's going to look great. The framers began laying out the floor joists, and next week (snow permitting), they'll frame out what will become our new account services area!

Labels: plaid, space

posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:27 PM   0 comments

Monday, November 12, 2007

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A couple of us got the opportunity to meet Ze Frank last week, while attending a Core 77 event. And he proclaimed that "Ze loves Plaid." We think that if we gave him the opportunity to elaborate, he would have added quotes like "Plaid is the absolute best agency in all of the land," and "Any brand with any relevance should be hiring Plaid now," and "Darryl Ohrt is a god." But since he didn't have time, he didn't get to say those things. Next time, for sure.

Labels: plaid, selfpromotion

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:25 AM   0 comments

Friday, November 2, 2007

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Here's how Plaid spent our Halloween 'at the office.'

Labels: plaid

posted by darryl ohrt @ 10:44 AM   0 comments

Friday, October 26, 2007

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Our new intern, Katie started this week. We've convinced her that we're the hottest agency in all of the land of agencies. And that all of the cool agency people like to do crappy work like filing, and photo research and building other designer's conceptual comps. So far, she's on board.

Here's a little something about Katie...

I overheard her telling someone else at Plaid that she's single, and 'accepting applications.' We suggested she share her Facebook profile. She was previously boycotting Facebook (college students sometimes do silly things like that), but we've convinced her otherwise. You can friend her here. If you're lucky, she'll accept. :)

Unlike our previous intern, she doesn't own a Zune. We like that. (Sorry Brian)

She's already had a great week:
+ She's done some production work for Talbots and a bank's website,
+ Got a lesson on how to ride the Segway PT,
+ Sat in on the first ever recording session for a Plaid podcast (Plaidcast)
+ And some other boring stuff, too.

Please welcome Katie to the Plaid crew and be nice to her on Facebook. :)

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 5:07 PM   5 comments

Friday, October 19, 2007

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We received our new Segway today. Eric from Segway came down to the Plaid offices and gave us personal lessons and orientation. He can pretty much rock a Segway over anything. And as you'll see by the clip above, I'm still learning how to ride. :)

Labels: plaid

posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:34 PM   0 comments

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

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We just purchased the Plaid design and brand crew these really sweet video cameras. Flip video cameras that record 640 x 480 digital video (60 minutes of video, without tape!) with built-in usb plugs. They fit in your pocket. Basically, a video camera designed for the YouTube generation. AWESOME IDEA.

Anyway - we're embarking on an experiment of sorts. Everyone's now armed with these cameras. So we're going to try video blogging. Not the vidcast-shot-from-the-laptop that everyone else is doing - but sharing our experiences, as they happen. (You can't carry your laptop camera into the Bodega, can you?) Funny, stupid, creatively inspiring, or people falling asleep at their desks. Low production, no edits, no soundtracks, just video clips. Whatever happens when we're recording.

The experiment kicks off tomorrow morning, as a bunch of us leave for Mexico. Should make for some fun video. We're traveling tech-lite (only ONE laptop!!), so we won't be uploading every hour, but I promise some good regular video. If we like the results of the experiment, we'll get cameras for the extended Plaid team, across the country. This could really be a cool, creative group video blog. Or a complete waste of time.

Stay tuned.

Labels: plaid, plaidteam, plaidtv

posted by darryl ohrt @ 11:19 PM   0 comments

Thursday, September 13, 2007

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Matt's bobble head arrived today. On close inspection, we realized that the bobble company traveled into the future, and sculpted a bobble of Matt ten years from now. Doesn't his bobble look older than he is?

It definitely acts more maturely than Matt does. We're still not sure who works harder - but from the looks of it, we believe his bobble is one of those guys who's 'always at the office.'

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 11:08 AM   3 comments

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

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They just completed installation on our new front door! Plaid on one side, and galvanized steel on the other. It's plaidlicious.

Labels: plaid, space

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:09 AM   0 comments

Monday, August 20, 2007

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Brian showed off his remote controlled office copter today. He had it buzzing around the office from desk to desk. And then David suggested we take out the Wiffle Ball bat. Brian put his copter away. We need to convince Brian that a copter sacrifice is worthwhile. Think of the video.

Labels: lifeatplaid, plaid

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:18 PM   0 comments

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

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Today, we had a new toilet installed in our studio's bathroom. Not just any toilet. We've affectionately named this poop remover the Plaid Flushmaster 4000. The plumber says it will flush ANYTHING. It sounds a lot like a jet engine when you flush. We kind of like that.

Anyway, on to Brian's art project. We thought it would be cool if the new toilet was decorated with Plaid. And who better for a toilet decoration project, than an intern??

You can see the entire process on our Flickr photo set, and the finished Plaid toilet here.

We're wondering if Brian will include the Flushmaster 4000 in his portfolio.

Labels: plaid

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:56 PM   0 comments

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

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We've just launched the House of Plaid, a side project and experiment for our design and branding firm.

For creatives, by creatives. The House of Plaid allows us to explore and create inspiring design objects that as creative people, we'd like to own ourselves. Each House of Plaid product is made by an independent artist, manufacturer or craftsperson in limited editions. Once sold out, we'll never produce that particular item again.

People who buy House of Plaid products will be supporting an artist, craftsperson or indie business, and keeping individuality alive. And getting some cool stuff.

You'll also note that we've designed the site not as a retail site, but as a blog - (where you can buy product). It's still a work in progress, and we believe a unique approach to small business on the internet. Like a blog, you can comment. Like a store, you can buy.

Our first product is a super sweet Plaid messenger bag. Coming in the next few days - an awesome sketch book. Stay tuned, and bring Plaid into your life!

Labels: houseofplaid, plaid

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:36 AM   0 comments

Sunday, July 22, 2007

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The van is gassed and ready for our second week on tour. Week two will bring us through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Virginia and North Carolina. Should be lots of fun. And brand love.

Stay tuned to the tour on our official dashboard, where you can watch the live van-cam, read the tour blog and so much more.

If you're in a market that we're passing through, let us know - we'd love to share some Plaid love!

Labels: plaid, plaid summertour

posted by darryl ohrt @ 10:50 PM   0 comments

Monday, July 9, 2007

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Only six days until the Brand Aid 2007 tour hits the pavement! There's a lot going on behind the scenes, as we prepare for a three week tour. You can monitor some of the current progress on our tour dashboard.

Bookmark the dashboard, and then check in daily starting Monday, July 16th. You'll be able to watch us live in the van (woohoo, sure to be exciting), follow the live tour blogs - and most importantly, capture some ideas for use in your own business. We plan on pulling off a handful of 'ambush brand-overs' for a couple of the brands we meet along the way. Sure to be fun for all.

That's Giuli pictured above, with the Plaid van, prior to having it pimped out in Plaid.

Labels: plaid, plaid summertour

posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:57 PM   0 comments

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

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The first ever Plaid Summer Tour is now just days away.

Today we launched PlaidNation, which is the dashboard for everything related to the tour. From this site, you can check in on the tour blog, Twitter log or Flickr photo set. You'll also be able to see the van's actual location, and watch its progress, with our Google GPS map.

Want more? While we're in the van, we'll be streaming a live webcam, so that you can watch us picking our noses. Or whatever we do while on the road for hours on end. We'll also videotape all of our adventures - and will upload regular Brand Aid webisodes to YouTube.

On Monday, we GET THE VAN. Look for exciting pics and video as we wrap a van in Plaid!

Labels: plaid, plaid summertour, selfpromotion

posted by darryl ohrt @ 4:24 PM   0 comments

Saturday, June 23, 2007

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We hired Matt this week! He's been freelancing here for a few weeks now, and we convinced him to make it permanent. He's a super talent, great designer, illustrator and even a stop motion animator. And he has some pretty cool t-shirts.

Most importantly, he's not named Rob. We already have too many Robs around here. New Rob, Old Rob, and Boston Rob. Geez.

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:49 AM   1 comments

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

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New bobble heads have arrived at our office - including Rob, the newest member of Plaid. (Pictured leading the pack, above.) We'll be having them photographed, and added to the site in a few days. We actually have enough bobbles to form a bobble army. Or a baseball team. Or a dance troupe.

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 10:53 PM   2 comments

Thursday, June 14, 2007

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Our limited edition Plaid messenger bags are complete. They were built by hand, in Hungary! They're shipping tomorrow, and I'm guessing that process will take about two weeks, with customs and everything.

These will likely be the first product to sell on House of Plaid. And there's only THIRTY of them, in all of the world. They'll each be numbered as limited editions.

I can't wait to get mine - judging by the pictures, these are going to be awesome bags. We'll share details and photos soon.

Labels: houseofplaid, plaid

posted by darryl ohrt @ 11:32 PM   0 comments

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Brian's setup the GPS tracking, so that you can follow the Plaid van on tour. Every step of the way. Keep an eye on us, to make sure we stay on track, stay on schedule, and stay away from casinos.

We'll be incorporating the GPS feed into a Google maps mashup, and it will track the van in real time. Since it's still four weeks until the tour kicks off, Brian's been testing the system on Plaid employee cars. We think he caught someone going to a strip club at lunch the other day.

Can't wait to see this live.

Labels: plaid, plaid summertour, website

posted by darryl ohrt @ 11:16 PM   0 comments

Friday, June 8, 2007

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We're officially doing it. The first ever road tour by an agency. With a tour van. And agency employees. And lots of energy drinks. The tour will kick off on July 16, and end (in Atlanta, we think) on August 4.

Anyway - we're looking for sponsors to help ease the pain of financial costs, or to make life more enjoyable for those on the road.

Have a brand that wouldn't mind being seen on our 2400 mile trek across the U.S? Or on the tour's internet dashboard? Or on the tour blog? Or the tour Twitter? Or included on the YouTube videos? We're poor, We're whores, and we're not ashamed. There are opportunities that range from product placement to cash deals. Limited only by your imagination.

Anyway - you can learn more at PlaidNation - which for now, is something better than a PowerPoint deck about sponsorship. Eventually, this site will become the dashboard for everything related to BrandAid 2007.

Stay off the roads. Lock your doors. Plaid is coming.

Labels: plaid, plaid summertour, selfpromotion

posted by darryl ohrt @ 10:43 AM   0 comments

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

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We met the newest member of the Plaid team for the first time today. You may remember that we hired Rob, without ever meeting him in person. Oh, the glorious internet.

Well, Rob and his wife just completed their trek from Arizona to Connecticut, and stopped by to introduce themselves. Super cool people. And - btw - any New York or CT agencies looking for design or illustration talent should let us know. Rob's wife is ALSO in the biz, and she's looking for a gig on the east coast. Cuz she's all about grey, depressing weather. (Oh, just wait Suzy, till November through March. You'll see.)

Rob starts officially on Monday!

Labels: plaid, plaidteam

posted by darryl ohrt @ 10:05 PM   0 comments

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

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What a night. We probably would have been perfectly happy with just a plate of chicken cordon bleu - but the ad club decided to give us FIVE ad club awards tonight. And that's not all...we also won the show's GOLD PEN Award for Santa Hunters, our holiday greeting card. We're totally stoked. You can see the crew juggling trophies on our Flickr page.

Here's what we came home with:

GOLD PEN: Santa Hunters self promotion
Gold award: Spherion Meeting Bingo
Gold award: Santa Hunters direct mail
Gold award: Santa Hunters website
Silver award: Mohawk Mountain outdoor
Bronze award: Flambeau River Papers swatch book

Lots of love and kisses to all who helped us bring home wood: Paul Reilly, Brent Meyer, Chris Dornfeld, Chip Simons and of course Eliza Sweet. (A gold pen!)

Oh yeah - I guess we couldn't have done any of this without the most wonderful clients....lovin' you too!

(And - special nod to my son, who won an Ad Club scholarship. Nice job, Devon. Good night for all.)

Labels: plaid, plaidteam, selfpromotion

posted by darryl ohrt @ 11:31 PM   2 comments

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

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We received the test printing of the Plaid Sketchbook. It's awesome. We approved the rest of the books for printing. We'll have 50 books - each signed and numbered by the artist - and then we'll officially retire this particular color scheme, so each book will be a true limited edition.

Paul is working on building out our House of Plaid site, where you'll be able to purchase these, and other cool limited edition design goods.

They'll probably sell for around $30, but we're still figuring that out. We'll look to essentially cover costs. This isn't a money making venture for us, but instead a creative exploration where we get to design fun objects. All while supporting independent artists and craftspeople.

Available soon!

Labels: houseofplaid, plaid

posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:39 PM   0 comments

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

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We just hired Rob as our newest Designer at Plaid. Rob lives in Arizona. He's convinced his wife that New England will be so much nicer than having sunny warm days everyday, like they do now. How boring. Better to be surrounded by grey clouds, on and off rain, 30 degree temperature drops and of course, snow and ice.

We're totally stoked to have Rob join our team. He comes to Plaid with an impressive resume and portfolio. He's worked with JJ Sedelmaier, and most recently, Blufish Design Studios in Tempe. He's a super design talent, and we're lucky to have him join us.

Most interestingly...WE HAVEN'T EVEN MET HIM YET. As a true testimonial to the Plaid way of doing business - and to today's wonderlicious internet tools that are available, we feel like we already know him.

How'd we get to know Rob? All of our interviews were conducted using iChat cameras. We shared Flickr photo sets of each other. And of course some email. We've only spoken on the phone once - AFTER he accepted the position - and won't meet him in person until he arrives after Memorial Day. Isn't the internet awesome??

Labels: plaid

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:32 AM   0 comments

Friday, May 11, 2007

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We've been talking a LOT about the concept of a Plaid Summer Tour, as a part of our self-promotional campaign.

The more we talk about it, the more we're falling in love with the concept. Currently, we're looking at two potential options:

+ Buy and remodel a bitchin' custom van as a Plaid van. Tour the hottest brands in the nation and spread Plaid love and cheer.

+ Rent a rock star tour bus and wrap it in Plaid. While likely more expensive, this would allow actual Plaid employees to travel along on the tour (while working on the road of course) and see the Plaid nation. Could be a real adventure. Leigh found the Paul Frank bus above, as inspiration.

Giuli's pricing each of them out, and then we'll likely need to scale down to reality. Know anyone who rents buses? Or any cool drivers?

Labels: plaid, selfpromotion

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:43 PM   1 comments