Open Classification:
Silver Rockie – Drake Cooper
Idaho Preferred, What’s Fresh in Idaho 2008 Campaign
Concept: Leah Clark, Joanne Taylor, John Drake
Citation: Creative Tactic of Staging a Flashdance – Trey McIntyre Project, Drake Cooper
Trey McIntyre Project, Boise Launch Campaign
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Citation: Creative Tactic of Staging a Flashdance – Trey McIntyre Project, Drake Cooper
Trey McIntyre Project, Boise Launch Campaign”
I find this very interesting, considering that I conceptualized FLASHDANCE for The Trey McIntyre Project through a BSU Public Relations class in spring 2008. Not only did I come up with the flash-dance concept (based on recent popular flash mobs), but a group of five other students helped to create a PR campaign for TMP based on the FLASHDANCE idea. E-mail me if you’d like a copy of this campaign plan.
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Leigh Ann Dufurrena
ladufurrena@gmail.com
I was also one of the BSU students with Leigh Ann Dufurrena who worked on the FLASHDANCE project for TMP for our Spring 2008 PR class.
Ethics is one of the main platforms public relations students are taught. This, would be a great example of that violation. As students, we feel confident that our creative ideas not just help the community, but build confidence in ourselves that we can learn from. If every student sat in class, knowing that their campaigns they created were going to be used for an award at an agency that had nothing to do with the class itself, the students wouldn’t give ideas anymore. They would feel violated and used. The BSU students would no longer offer their work to class, not knowing if it would be stolen unrightfully. This is how I feel, along with my peers.
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Nicki Degirmenci
nickoledegirmenci@yahoo.com
This issue has been addressed by the Drake Cooper team, and it was decided that the Rockie Citation for Creative Tactic of Staging a Flashdance will be presented to Boise State University’s Communication Department on behalf of the mock PR agency “Atomic PR” from Joanne Taylor’s spring 2008 class.
Thanks Drake Cooper and Joanne Taylor for taking action, and understanding my position.
Thanks Leigh Ann Dufurrena and Joanne Taylor/Drake Cooper. Happy to see the misunderstanding clear.
Okay, time for me to step in here.
As has been the case since day one of the Idaho Ad Agencies blog, I have no problem with criticism of an agency, group or organization, or criticism of the work that is produced. Criticism of that nature tends to be constructive, and is good for the industry – it helps push people farther, to do more, and do it better. What I have no tolerance for is personal criticism, attacks or accusations. I’m not expecting everyone to like one another, but a little professional courtesy and civility goes a long way, especially online.
This particular incident played itself out overnight both in the comments above and on Twitter. However, after seeing how it all shook out, and reading the comment in greater detail, I couldn’t leave it alone.
Both commenters make valid argument in the comments, and as such I’ve left those relatively untouched. Where I have stepped in are the portions of their comments that reference individuals. Those insinuations and accusations were not warranted, nor were they necessary. In those instances, I’ve edited the comments and left notes accordingly.
Now let’s look at the other side of the story.
The work in question was submitted jointly by Trey McIntyre Project (TMP) and Drake Cooper, and was for the TMP Boise Launch Campaign as a whole, of which the Flashdance was apparently one component. The Rockies Judges, at their discretion, chose to recognize the Flashdance component with the Citation. By their own accounts, the student’s work was done as a project for TMP, and it is conceivable that TMP could have opted to use that as a part of their launch. Whether that was communicated to the students or not, I have no idea — I wasn’t there, so I can’t judge either way.
I am not trying to take sides, assign blame, or otherwise play favorites with this action. I am simply doing what I’ve done in other cases — preventing what can only turn into a downward death-spiral of this comment thread.
My understanding is that Drake Cooper will be presenting this Citation to the BSU students who were involved in the aforementioned class. I believe that settles this issue, and will allow everyone to move on.
Thank you for your delegation Brian. I believe that this issue has been settled between the voicing members of the BSU PR class who created the campaign for TMP and between the other parties involved.