The BuzzBubble returns this week with the final installment of our interview with Dr. Bob Deutsch of www.brain-sells.com. We wrap things up with a conversation on the role of an agency in product change and development, spurring insights on the true meaning of design as a much more expansive concept than that to which we traditionally limit it, starting from the very formation of an idea. Dr. Bob comments on the industry’s tendency to overcomplicate matters, when the only truly meaningful promise a brand can make is to help an individual become more of themselves, to use the brand and the product as a vessel through which to explore themselves in what he defines with a yellow brick road philosophy. He shares the story of the long path that led him to advertising, one paved with serendipity, and how his background enabled him to touch upon so many areas along his route. Finally, Dr. Bob shares with us the details of his upcoming book, You Tools, which speaks to our minds and how they are already equipped with what we need to explore our true nature, to expand and build upon it in both professional and personal ways. Our discussion is concluded and brought together with one truth: every one of us is on a journey throughout our lives, in our nature, and to be truly meaningful, anything with which we interact must play a role in that journey.

In this third installment of our interview with Dr. Bob Deutsch, founder of www.brain-sells.com, there’s one big topic to cover: Ideas. Dr. Bob talks about not only what makes a big idea, but also about the entire concept of what an idea is and how it is formed. In talking about the “new rules” versus the “old rules” of presenting an idea in advertising, Dr. Bob looks beyond the background of the advertising industry to the human process of attachment. He stresses the importance of this concept in all aspects of life, and talks about how it determines what small percentage of advertising breaks through to make culture. We talk about the modern world, the way people view it, the way they form attachments with brands they see as being “me”, and what it takes for a good idea to endure through.

As we continue with Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Bob Deutsch of www.brain-sells.com, we discuss the way in which a brand is recognized and defined by the human mind. Dr. Bob tells us about how emotional attachments are initially formed through a merging of narratives between the individual and the brand, inspiring a spasm of sentiment that forms a lasting connection and loyalty. He shares examples to provide insight into the feelings behind these connections, citing work he has done for Ronald Reagan, Apple, and Harley-Davidson. He describes how data comes second to emotion, and how people recall their feelings far more acutely than hard information. He touches on social networks, and moves on to discuss the concept of a social tribe, discussing their requirements and benefits, to both their members and to the brands that manage to cultivate them.

This week on The BuzzBubble, we sit down with Dr. Bob Deutsch, founder of www.brain-sells.com. As a cognitive anthropologist, Dr. Bob has a unique and invaluable insight into the inner workings of the human mind and how they affect the abstract processes that lead individuals to form a lasting emotional connection with a brand. In talking about how people form these connections, he stresses the importance of understanding your audience’s lives, motivations, and feelings. We learn about what his position has entailed in the context of advertising, what an individual’s brand of meaning is, and how purchase decisions are ultimately made, in Dr. Bob’s own words, in a spasm of sentiment rather than a dryly analytical process of pure rationality.

We wrap up our interview with the legendary George Lois with our fifth and final installment today. As we wind down from industry talk, we get to know the man behind the legend. In sharing some of his personal thoughts, we learn about George’s love of music, including a passion for opera and a sentimental attachment to Greek music. From there, he details some of his experiences as a Greek American, and shares some valuable insight and opinions on Greek cuisine. Moving on, George not only shares his favorite word, but explains the appeal and the philosophy behind it. As we shift from philosophy into catharsis with curse words, we end up calling back to the work of another great George – namely, George Carlin. We get a glimpse of his personal ethos as we learn the words he’d most like to hear upon arriving in a theoretical Heaven and, finally, wrap things up with a rundown of how he’s keeping (very) busy these days.

Don’t miss the BuzzBubble Season 3 Wrap Party, November 27th at Gibson Guitar Showroom in NYC!

On Part 4 of our interview with advertising legend George Lois, our theme is the perils of mediocrity. George talks about modern creatives falling into the trap of being “careful”, only producing work that can be tested and pass – keeping them short of achieving truly innovative ideas. He talks about the fallacy in assuming nobody will “get” a creative idea, and avoiding risks which could be what ultimately makes a campaign effective and iconic. He shares his brutally honest opinions on social media as a platform for mediocrity, citing the thoughtlessness of most users’ content. Finally, he illuminates how he came into writing, talking about a problematic book that encouraged creatives to be careful rather than inventive, and how his book redeemed the publisher responsible.

Join us for the third installment of our interview with George Lois, legend of the creative revolution. As we continue our conversation, George stresses the importance of integrity. He shares personal stories of his experiences firing two lucrative accounts based on conflicts of principle and morality, exemplifying that standing up for what you know to be right, and working with people who respect that, is more important than keeping an account. From social integrity, he moves into personal integrity, of bucking trends, moving against the currents, and retaining an identity that stands out. He also talks about “group grope”, his view on too many people being involved in a creative process, and the creative integrity best obtained by smaller teams – even just one or two people – formulating ideas and working together in a more focused process. He also touches on integrity in advertising, having enough respect to recognize that consumers realize when they’re being sold to, and the integrity inherent in being straightforward and honest about what your ad is there to do.

As we continue with the second part of our interview with the Legendary George Lois, George tells us about the importance of words. On a level much deeper than simply laying copy out properly, he talks about the driving shift behind the creative revolution: art directors and copywriters working together to bring forth a concept that truly marries its visual and verbal messaging harmoniously. Recalling his first day working at Doyle Dane Bernbach, the first true Creative Agency, he talks about how vital it is to able to think in words, rather than just visually – which is still a concept foreign to many young creatives finding their career footing. He also stresses the importance of working with the right people and clients in order to create great work that is truly allowed to convey its unified message.

This week, we sit down with the legendary George Lois, father of the Creative Revolution and real-life original Mad Man. His new book, “Damn Good Advice (for people with talent)”, has hit the shelves, and George joins us to not only talk about the book, but to share some of his personal experiences and insights. He dives right in with a story from his time in the army after being drafted in 1951 about a face-off with a superior officer, and explains how the same story caused a bit of a stir when he included it in a talk he was giving at Pratt. From these experiences, George talks about his feelings on the importance of having courage, and how no amount of talent, passion, or knowledge can make up for a lack of courage in creative. As he continues, he breaks down what he sees as the four basic types of people in the world, and how they work – or don’t. Where we leave off, we’re really only getting started – you won’t want to miss any of our conversation with the engaging and immensely talented – and courageous – George Lois.

This week, we share the second part of our tour of downtown Las Vegas with Kim Schaefer of the Downtown Project, learning about the origins of the project. Kim details how “Triumph of the City”, a book by Harvard economist Edward Glaeser, has inspired the movement. Glaeser describes cities as making people healthier, smarter, happier, and more productive, thanks to living in close proximity with others and developing a sense of community; this is seen in practice in the reinvigorated, growing city, where cafes and shops line the streets, creating a pedestrian-friendly environment that encourages neighbors to get outside and interact. We then head inside to see The Ogden, the bankrupt condominium reimagined as a residential rental property, taking a walk through Tony Hsieh’s custom combined unit. As we conclude our tour, Kim details the needs of a growing community and how the money behind the project is being invested into developing the area. She shares the criteria, process, and incentives of opening small businesses and touches on the Vegas Tech Fund, a subdivision focused on bringing tech startups to the downtown area, along with their rapid growth potential and revenue turnaround. This exciting process of breathing new life into the city is truly just in its beginnings; we wish the Downtown Project the best, and look forward to watching their community thrive.

Join us for the first installment of our tour highlighting downtown Las Vegas, with Kim Schaefer of the Downtown Project. A $350 million startup founded by Tony Hsieh, the Downtown Project seeks to revitalize the downtown Las Vegas area, including the historic original strip. We see some repurposed residential spaces, the coffee house the beat , adjoining art spaces, and exciting coworking space that make up the community’s hub. Granting a sense of connection, allowing for networking on common goals and interest and fostering the growing community, these spaces highlight the spirit of the project. We talk about the challenges they face as they go through rapid growth, the limitations brought on by having more empty spaces than repurposed buildings, and the innovative solutions they have put in place to breathe vibrant new life into the city.

As we jump right into the third and final part of our interview with Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com and author of “Delivering Happiness”, we pick up with his views on social media marketing. He shares his thoughts by citing an imbalance of focus and a necessity to master basic customer service and communication skills that should be applied equally across all channels. We talk about how this reiterates the Zappos.com driving motive to focus on a great service experience rather than on traditional outbound marketing. We get to know Tony a little better, learning about the most significant influences on him growing up, and the importance he places on branching out and learning to see life from a multitude of perspectives. As we start to wrap up, Tony tells us about the Zappos.com campus in progress, and how rather than building an insular “dream campus”, they have opted to openly integrated into their surroundings, joining the Downtown Vegas Revitalization Project, an effort to revive the entire downtown area of Las Vegas.

In the second part of our interview with Tony Hsieh, Zappos.com CEO and author of “Delivering Happiness”, we learn about the importance of an organic, employee-driven culture. Tony tells us about the growth of Zappos.com over the years, from its earliest struggles to breakout success. He shares his thoughts on how vital it is that employees are a good fit not only in terms of skills and experience, but also for the company’s culture, and how the Zappos hiring process reflects that. The benefits of a positive culture are made obvious when Tony shares their experience moving their offices – and their employees – from San Francisco to Las Vegas.

This week on The BuzzBubble, we dive right into our interview with Tony Hsieh, Zappos.com CEO and bestselling author of “Delivering Happiness.” Taking a cue from Zappos, we embrace the weird and start off by picking Tony’s brain for his favorite words (curse and otherwise), his creative and emotional turn-ons and turn-offs, and discover his secret dream of being MacGyver. With these vital concerns assuaged, we talk about Tony’s book and its relation to life, business, and, of course, the fun, family feel of Zappos culture. Tony shares his thoughts on literally delivering happiness to customers, and how customer service and experience can be a powerful marketing tool in the long-term.

This week, we continue with Part 2 of our tour of the Zappos.com headquarters in Las Vegas. Picking up where we left off last week, we dive right back into the Zappos culture and environment. We learn more about the internal operations and the way the culture directly affects the employees on a day-to-day basis. From a run-down of their fulfillment center to their wall of culture blurbs written by employees to their milestone wall, we are immersed in the inner workings and chemistry of Zappos. We take a look through their open office space, where even Tony Hsieh and other higher-ups sit alongside their employees, always maintaining an approachable presence. Continuing the theme of openness, we travel to the company bistro, an open cafeteria-style space where employees are provided with lunch, breakfast, and even ice cream. Finally, we pay a visit to the Zappos Insights team, a group dedicated exclusively to capturing and sharing the Zappos culture and the role that it plays with other business leaders.

This week on The BuzzBubble, join us on our tour of the Zappos.com headquarters in Las Vegas. We get an incredible glimpse inside the environment that nurtures the Zappos culture, making them #6 on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2011. We learn about the importance they place on creative, personalized communication with their customers, regularly going as far as employees sending hand-drawn thank you cards. We also see how they focus on the personal and professional growth of their employees, be it through their nap room, on-staff life coach, or employee library. Take a look with us inside this top company and learn how their open, relaxed culture helps produce their amazing success.

Take a sneak peek at some of the highlights of the next few weeks on The BuzzBubble. We’ll start by getting a look inside Zappos.com as we examine their corporate culture on a headquarters tour with Ray Ray. Then, we’ll sit down to talk with CEO Tony Hsieh and gain some insight into the guiding force behind this top online retailer. Finally, we’ll put that all in context as we step outside the offices to take a tour of the Downtown Project in downtown Las Vegas with Kim Shaefer.

Join The BuzzBubble for a glimpse behind the scenes of Creative Week New York and The One Show Advertising Awards. This exciting event about all aspects of advertising, design and digital media is focused on honoring, inspiring and connecting the creative community. Attendees come from all corners of the industry to share ideas, learn from each other, create and collaborate. This year’s host, Fabio, kept the crowd engaged and laughing.