And this is how it happened.
Wake up in the morning feeling' like P Diddy
My class was invited by the TBWA\Belgium to visit and spend a day at their office. TBWA is an international advertising agency. They “make disruptive work for ambitious clients with real results”.
March 19th was the date of the visit. I woke up early because the office is in Diegem. Making a good impression means waking up at 6 AM. After a shower, dressing up and eating breakfast I was ready to go.
Don't judge a book by its cover
1 hour later we arrived in Diegem. Accompanied by our corporate communication teachers, a 20 min walk was the distance left to the office. But we took the wrong route, turning into a 40 min walk.
First, I was disappointed with the location of the office. It’s very industrialised and sad, the city seemed inhabitant. So the walk wasn’t pleasant, as you can imagine. However when I entered the office I was amazed.
The definition of don’t judge a book by its cover. This company, just by the interior of the establishment, presented how different they are from other companies. They brought comfort and productivity with just the ambience and furniture.
We were guided to a room where they did a 2 hour presentation. We got to know about the brand and what they do. Showing us some advertisements and campaigns they have launched.
"Grrr"- Sorry that was my tummy...
Lunch time arrived and me being the portuguese I am, I brought my own food. Since it was father’s day I Facetimed my father and showed him where I was.
Even the area where you eat felt inviting and soothing. The office also provides a backyard area along with seating. Right after finishing my meal, I had a delicious free hot chocolate, yummy!
Before going back to the presentation room, an office tour was acquired. Showing us students the inclusivity, diversity and distinctive office TBWA\Belgium has. From AI art, designed by workers, many conference “open” rooms and even a small gym.
Play 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton
We only started to get our hands dirty after the tour. Giving us a case from one of their clients, McDonald’s. A campaign for this brand needed to be created. Inviting influencers and attracting new employees for the opening of 10 new restaurants. Following the sharing of important information, the countdown started. We had 1 hour to come up with a good campaign. The exciting part is if the ideas were good, they might use them.
1 hour passes by and our idea is good. I was proud of it until I saw the competition. I start to doubt our idea, thinking it’s horrible in comparison to the others. We are the last ones to pitch, and I get caught off guard. They liked our idea, and not having a bad comment about it. So I (technically) did a Mcdonal’s campaign.
I worked in an advertisement agency (for a day).
Clocking out
The day ended, we catched the train and went home. I was thankful for the incredible day. For the first time I wanted to work in an office. I never saw myself in one. However I can see myself in that environment. I am happy with the bachelor I am studying for. Being also grateful for the opportunities Howest has given me.
What do you think I did for the campaign? Share your thoughts of my work day down below. Check out my previous blog post, and be ready for my next one. It’s approaching. 🙂
Salvador Pinho
P.S: That hot chocolate was so good I had to refill 2 times lol.