Hi, I’m Libby, Senior Marketing major at Wake Forest and Woodbine’s newest intern! (Kris is posting this for me – hoping to earn my own posting privileges soon.) While many seniors in college see their last semester as a time to “live it up,” take six hrs of class and only show up for three, I’m the kind of gal that craves a challenge, and saw Woodbine as the perfect opportunity to learn the ins and outs of working at a creative agency.

Let’s just say it was love at first sight. My first visit to the three-story, renovated Victorian house was like watching the season premiere of the Real World. Every room I entered exuded personality through its edgy furniture, vibrant colors and eclectic art. When Account Director, Kris Kriofske, offered me the position, I couldn’t wait to join the Woodbine team; and as I sit here this morning at my desk on the creative floor, I can fully attest that Woodbine life trumps Senior Slump.

My first two weeks at Woodbine have revealed a couple of things. First off, that Woodbine is bigger (figuratively, not literally) than your typical ad agency. They specialize in brand revitalization, a philosophy about breathing new life into brands that requires strategic insight, collaboration and long-term thinking, and when done effectively, serves as a rite of passage for companies in realizing their business objectives. This underlying concept has been ingrained in the minds of Woodbine’s talent and lies at the heart of every conversation, whether it be a new business pitch, a strategic name recommendation for a student art contest, designing a new website, or what drinks to serve up at the weekly cocktail hour on Fridays. Here at Woodbine, creative energy beams through the glass windows, permeates the hardwood floors, and radiates through the pictures on the walls prescribing an atmosphere that inspires and ignites fresh ideas.

So, what can I bring to Woodbine? Let’s start with a little blog revitalization. Insights from a college senior on which brands are effectively engaging our fast-paced, internet crazed, multi-tasking, category segment, and providing a momentary hiatus from our busy lives and the reality that graduation is a mere three months away. My entries will serve as a forum for reflection and discussion on how brands can keep up in our media-crazed society, and what it takes to remain relevant and memorable amid the clutter of our everyday lives. So, I invite you to sit back, relax, agree, disagree, and see for yourself how the Woodbine philosophy challenges convention and opens doors for brands seeking revival.