The Design Intern's Holiday Tradition
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Each year the fall semester design intern is given the opportunity to design a holiday invitation for the Addison Whitney Holiday Party. The intern works directly with the planning committee, who is considered to be the “client,” to create an invite that is relevant to the party’s theme.
Invite designs from years past include a holiday partridge sailing on a boat (2007 Holiday Cruise) and a jolly reindeer perched upon a snow-covered cabin (2005 Cozy Cabin Holiday Party). This week we will be showcasing invitations from the past 5 years for your enjoyment.
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The Holiday Hierarchy
Is it me, or are we transitioning immediately from Halloween to Christmas? Just when the last Trick-or-Treater of the night walks away from my door step, K-mart busts out the 15 foot inflatable snow globe. Are we skipping something? Yes, I think it is called Thanksgiving.
According to a recent study by the CDC, 34% of Americans are overweight. You would think Thanksgiving would be a marketers dream. Shelves should be stocked with bite size packages of stuffing for ‘Thank’-or-Treaters, freezers full of turkeys to carve and place on our door steps, 15 foot inflatable gravy boats—a pilgrim at the mall taking pictures with your screaming kids. Well, maybe next year…
Let’s face it, Thanksgiving does not get enough credit. How did the rest of our holidays become so commercial, leaving Thanksgiving in the dust? I have a few theories:
1.No Brand Persona
Santa, Cupid, Easter bunny—these are all characters that add a story and pizzazz to their respective holidays. The turkeys’ life story never has a happy ending. This is not a story you read your children before bed. Maybe we could add a gift giving Pilgrim to the mix.
2.Lack of buy in from children
What do children love about holidays? Free candy on Halloween, Toys for Christmas, a basket of goodies on Easter morning, and notes from classmates on Valentine’s Day. For children, Thanksgiving is just another meal. No gifts, no candy, no fun.
3.Minimal merchandising opportunities
How many turkey figurines can you have before your home décor begins to resemble a zoo gift shop? We need more characters, symbols, and colors for Thanksgiving. Side dishes don’t count. There is really only one product to market for Thanksgiving: food. You can buy food ANY day of the year. Luster=lost.
But most importantly…
4. Calendar Crowding
Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, New Year’s—all within three months. I call for a calendar reorganization. Any holiday preceding Christmas automatically gets overshadowed. Columbus Day really drew the short straw. If we move Thanksgiving to April, I think we would begin Turkey shopping in February.
I will not be rushed into Christmas this year, and I hope you will stop and smell the yams as well. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Time with family, tradition, relaxation, football---but most importantly, the FOOD! I wait all year for this meal and I am not going to leave the table early to decorate the Christmas tree. Happy Thanksgiving!
Contributed by Laine Beyerl
AW's Pumpkin Carving Contest Begins!
Tensions are high around the office, as the AW team is gearing up for the annual pumpkin carving contest! Teams have been assigned, and this year there will only be three days given to carve. Stay tuned for more details and may the best pumpkin win!
{View pictures of the last two years of the contest on our PHOTOS page}
Contributed by Laine Beyerl
The Sweetest Day
It’s that time of year again! Have you stood in line to dig through all of the picked-over cards to find just the right one for this week’s special holiday? If you’re thinking to yourself “It’s not Christmas or Valentine’s Day, or even Halloween yet” then you’re right. This Saturday is actually “Sweetest Day.” Sweetest Day is a holiday set aside every third Saturday in October to celebrate the "occasion that offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, aged and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed" (according to Retail Confectioner’s International).
This much debated “candy” or “Hallmark” holiday can be traced back to the early 1920s and is said to have originated in Cleveland, Ohio by Herbert Birch Kingston, a local candy company employee. In 1921 he, along with other candy employees, formed a confectioner’s committee and provided over 20,000 candy gift baskets to orphans, the poor and others less fortunate. While the holiday has become mostly celebrated within the Great Lakes region, it is considered a holiday geared toward giving loved ones flowers, cards and candy. So, I don’t know about you, but I definitely can find reason in having another day dedicated to giving and receiving candy and chocolate!
By: Kelly Wilson
Oktoberfest Fakts
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So we’ve all heard of this wild sixteen day festival, but do we really know the history behind it? What once began as a royal wedding celebration has overtime transformed into millions of beer-drinking, pretzel-eating friends pouring into Munich and places all around the world for the time of their lives.
Below are some fun fakts that the average joe doesn’t know:
• The original purpose was to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810.
• It began as an organized horserace in Munich, Bavaria (Germany), which included about 40,000 guests (seems minute compared to the roughly 6 million that now attend the event).
• It may be called Oktoberfest, but the event actually starts in September and ends on the first weekend of October. (this year starts September 20th)
• Theresienwiese is the name of the field on which the festival is held in Germany.
• It has been canceled 24 times due to war, disease, and other emergencies.
• Cincinnati, Ohio, which claims to host the "largest authentic Oktoberfest" in the U.S. attracts nearly 500,000 people each year.
Get more fakts here!
Don’t worry if you can’t manage to make it to Germany this year to join the festivities because there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate on a more local level. Visit here for more info, and have fun!
Contributed by: Ashley Hollingsworth
No more rain ...
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"St. Swithun's day, if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain;
St. Swithun's day, if thou be fair,
For forty days 'twill rain na mair."
The outlook for today: sunny with a high of 90. Too bad for our lawns and water restrictions, since today is Saint Swithun’s Day, which forecasts 40 days and 40 nights of rain if it rains today.
According to BBC, Saint Swithin’s remains were unearthed and relocated to a shrine in the cathedral. The removal was accompanied by violent rain storms that lasted 40 days and 40 nights, which is reported to indicate the saint’s displeasure at being moved.
Father's Day Gifts
In search of the perfect Father’s Day gift, I’ve decided that there are really only four types of gifts:
Utility—Something he’ll actually use
Wish List—Something he really wants
Quality Time—Spending time with you
Appreciation—Showing that you care
Many gift ideas quality for more than one category; but the ever-illusive “perfect gift” would satisfy all four. This year, several major brands are doing their best to help you find that perfect gift for your dad. Here are just a few:
Sears and Docker’s want you to give the gift of Utility by offering a free $75 gas gift card with your $100 Docker’s purchase. At $4.00 a gallon, everyone could use some free gas, so Utility is in the bag. My dad’s not that fashionable (sorry dad), so new clothes are more need than a want. But with some looking, you may be able to find something on his Wish List. And, if you actually take your dad shopping and provide fashion advice, then you could knock out QT and Appreciation (IF the ordeal goes peaceably).
Best Buy and Circuit City are both cutting prices in hopes that you’ll cross something big off of Dad’s Wish List. Circuit City commissioned a study that found 52% of dads want electronics this Father's Day. A GPS system could definitely fit the Utility category by helping dad find cheaper gas stations (or save gas because we know he doesn’t like to ask for directions). Again, take dad to the store for some QT. And as you’re reclining in the home theatre section, take care of the Appreciation part with a quick “I love you dad.” Caution: You may find yourself yelling to be heard over the mega surround sound.
Nintendo wants you to spend some Quality Time with Dad for Father’s Day by participating in the Wii Father’s Day Challenge at the Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Plaza. Dads and kids will test their collective smarts in a bracket-style tournament of the new Big Brain Academy game. The Wii is on a lot of Wish Lists for gamers and non-gamers alike. And the Wii Fit could be something that dad really needs to get him up off the couch and in better health. And finally, as you’re hoisting your trophy in the air, you’ll share a moment of bonding with dad for your Appreciation category.
Major League Baseball wants to be your first draft pick for showing dad some Appreciation. Players, managers, groundskeepers, umpires and pretty much everybody else will wear blue to celebrate dads. Home teams will also put special blue ribbon logos on their helmets and bases. Seeing his favorite team in action is probably on his Wish List, and going to the game together is a sure home run for Quality Time. The MLB also helps out in the Utility department by raising money for prostate cancer research. We hope dad will never need this gift, but you should let him know that you want him to stay healthy and live a long life.
What is your perfect gift for Dad this year?
The Gratitude Campaign
A friend recently told me about The Gratitude Campaign. It encourages people to say thank you to soldiers by using sign language.
I think anything that helps us show our gratitude to the troops is a great idea, especially since this week began with Memorial Day. More than once I’ve seen a soldier in the airport, and I’ve thought about saying something, but I usually just smile and keep walking. Next time, I can give them a sign of my appreciation.
The Meaning of a Day: Memorial Day
For many of us, Memorial Day has come to represent just an extra day off work. It signals the end of the school year and the beginning of summer (and higher gas prices). It’s a chance for us to go to the beach, have a picnic, visit family or take advantage of a huge sale at the mall. Although these activities reflect our society today, none of them have anything to do with the intended meaning of the day.