In the age of fake news, wouldn’t you know it—irony of all ironies—it’s up to advertising to tell the world the truth. But, truth be told, sometimes reality has to be decorated so that it projects properly to the wider world.

So when we in the communications industry find a beautiful, truthful event such as President Sian Beilock’s inaugural address as President of Barnard College, we owe it to the world to share the spirit of the moment. But to communicate not just what was said but also what was felt in the room you sometimes have to dress it up a little.

That’s precisely what we did when we took short snippets of President Beilock’s speech and adorned them with imagery and music. Here’s one example.

There was enough depth in the speech for us to create four additional episodes on various topics that would be meaningful to alumni and supporting foundations. And we carved out several more messages into byte-size pieces for distribution via social media — proving our maxim that if truth is to propagated in an environmentally sound way, it should be 100% recyclable.

The first video, introduced on Giving Day, produced wonderful results while doing the original event justice. Why? Well, Picasso may have explained it best when he said: “Art is a lie that tells the truth.”

“Everyone in Washington called me with advice about this speech. They all said the same thing: ‘Do NOT, under any circumstance, make any jokes about the President. So good night everybody!  Actually the President called me this morning and gave me some really good advice: he said if I get stuck for laughs, just brag about his accomplishments. It really killed at the U.N., I gotta tell ya.”

That was one of Ambassador Haley’s best jokes. But this perhaps was her most telling and even courageous remark:  “In our toxic political environment, I’ve heard some people in both parties describe their opponents as enemies or evil. In America, our political opponents are not evil…. We have some serious political differences here at home. But our opponents are not evil. They’re just our opponents. We are blessed with a political system that allows us to resolve our differences peacefully. In the end, we must recognize that we are all Americans. And we are stronger and healthier when we are united.”

Would that we lived in times when so self-evident a remark would not have taken courage to say; in any event, kudos to Ambassador Haley for making it in so illustrious a forum.

Our firm is proud to have created the animated graphics shown during the course of the dinner, outlining the illustrious history of the dinner and commemorating the 90^th Anniversary of Al Smith’s campaign for the Presidency.

Based on the book by George H. Lewis and A.D. Lubow

Our book, “Arthur and Bun-Bun: Adventures with Tut” is starting its public life as an exhibition at The Westchester Children’s Museum. It features the magically sumptuous illustrations of George H. Lewis.

As Jane Curley, the acclaimed children’s exhibition curator, writes: “A boy and his bunny rabbit gaze at a star-lit New York cityscape. The great Sphinx of Egypt sleeps. A child swings joyously across a river. Do you wonder what is going on here? Can you imagine yourself in these pictures? Wonder and imagination are at the heart of George Lewis’s and Arthur Lubow’s brilliant new picture book, Arthur and Bun-Bun: Adventures With Tut. Is it for children or for adults – or for both? This exhibition offers a tantalizing glimpse of the adventures of Arthur and his imaginary friend. Bun-Bun’s sage advice to viewers, “may we all grow up to be children,” is a magical jumping-off point for conversations between parent and child.”

To reserve your place at the September 29 opening, click here.

See the video trailer:

When most educators think of student recruitment videos, they think of increased applications. But an even more telling result is higher yields: the percentage of elite accepted students who choose to attend. Thanks in large part to our new video series for  the Columbia School of the Arts MFA in Film, an historically high percentage of accepted students chose Columbia.

Our series has a solid creative strategy: We stressed the remarkable number of students winning acclaim for their films at major festivals all over the world — even before they graduate. And we illustrated how the faculty of active filmmakers encourage their students to tell their story and find their voice.

We’re known for our ability to simplify a client’s message to maximize its power and reach. Our video series succinctly frames our client’s story into just two words: Do. Tell.

We were originally commissioned to do only an omnibus film. Notice, though, how the two days of shooting continue to yield shorter student and faculty profile films that can be pushed out on social media.

See:
• Collaboration and the Art of Film
• From Thesis to Feature Film
• Finding Your Voice

Please also view the first of this new series of faculty Words of Wisdom. We call it WoW!
• How to Deal with Writer’s Block
• Truth in Storytelling

Remember when it comes to effective social media video: Serialize!  Provide news and useful information. And profile not only your current students, but also your prospect’s dreams.

These days, if an advertising agency wants to be effective, it has to do more than advertise. It has to create something useful and meaningful. That’s why you’ll find our team dreaming up museum exhibitions that educate and raise funds at the same time; Welcome Centers that help visitors map out a day at a nature center; messaging for no less than Pope Francis; and educational films that are transforming the likes of the College Board and Columbia School of the Arts.

For our latest venture in unconventionality, we created a children’s book for The Sands Point Preserve Conservancy’s Butterfly Ball.

We’ve even written and recorded a hymn which, if all goes according to plan, will raise funds for a diversity of voices.

We’ll get to that next week.

Feb. 21, 2018, Guastavino’s New York. A tribute by Arthur Lubow to Helen Lowe, a client for more than four decades.

Wow, 250 people! 250 Disciples of Helen Lowe have come from far and wide.

Why are we here?  We’re here tonight because of an angel.

Helen is no ordinary angel. To tell the truth, she’s no angel.

Actually, she’s a person of this world who is intensely demanding.

Anyone who has ever worked with her knows: she’s never satisfied, and every one of her projects goes through a process of divine chaos where up until the last possible moment, all is lost. All is ruined. And then, as if by the grace of God, the sun shines and everything miraculously comes together. No one knows how. It’s a mystery.

How does she do it?

As best I can describe, there is a divine, chaotic universe of light within Helen’s brain full of supernovas, shooting stars and beautiful planets. If you’ve ever tried to understand one of her rambling sentences, you’ve been on that celestial journey.  I would love to know what it’s like to be a synapse in Helen’s brain. It must be like living perpetually in an amusement park, trying to sleep on a roller coaster.

This is a restless, impatient angel.

Continue reading “No Ordinary Angel” →

Our design for the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy’s new Welcome Center & Gift Shop, which started as an animated rendering, transformed an unused space into a place that welcomes guests with:

• An illustrated timeline of key moments in Sands Point Preserve history

• A full-walled Trails and Buildings Map with an inset interactive touch screen display

• A mural photograph depicting children entering Sands Point Preserve, as if it were a secret garden

• A small shop with gifts and refreshments

With a new branding identity, new website and new visitor center, AD Lubow is teaming with Sands Point Preserve Managing Director, Beth Horn, to renew and preserve a crucially important slice of history. Movies and TV shows are being shot at the Preserve’s giant sound stage, weddings are being celebrated in Gatsby-like splendor, and concerts are being presented in the kind of venue for which they were meant. Seasonal celebrations; education programs for children, families and adults; fitness and wellness programs; and guided nature walks are being enjoyed throughout the splendid grounds. Many more plans to come. Be on the lookout for a demonstration vegetable gardens, farm-to-table chef nights and much more. Welcome to Sands Point Preserve.