Adventures to stimulate branding minds // By Ellie Hancock
The heat has settled in the Denver basin and we can plan on no more mid-May snow storms…we hope. Rain or shine, as inspired realists we are seeking out the inexperienced, the unobligated, blissful disconnectivity, and colorful immersion of this summer to stimulate the branding mind. In familiar or unexpected domains we hope to expose ourselves to stimuli, extract inspiration and formulate new questions to ultimately make BrandJuice, our community and ourselves just little juicier. To pass on the anticipatory feelings of our summer plans, we have constructed a BrandJuice Summer Bucket List. Follow us along a path to new creative pursuits, foreign homes, and familiar cliff sides.
From Peter: I would like to do some backcountry hiking this summer to connect just with nature and my kids. Maybe it’s just keeping perspective!
From Alexandra: I’d like to experience three whole days without touching my phone. Sounds easier than you might think. No wi-fi, no capturing photos, no listening to music, no checking for directions or wondering about the weather. No checking in with friends and family. Just being, getting outside and connecting with the outdoors. Technology has become as embedded in my life as my right tibia. I’d like to observe how this affects my behavior without this stimuli. Can I just be? What will I see or hear that I might not without a device? We know that technology is increasingly changing consumer behavior by the second. From both emotional and functional levels, I think it would be fascinating to see how people in their daily lives, complete the simplest of tasks or problem solve, without turning to technology.
Check out 5280’s Camping Guide:
http://www.5280.com/magazine/2016/05/5280-guide-camping-colorado?page=full
From Lizzy: I’d like to see and experience more of Colorado’s rolling rivers and beautiful mountains. I hope to summit Grays and Torreys, as well as Mount Elbert. I’d also love to hike to Rainbow Hot Springs and experience a nice, remote jacuzzi sesh and possibly even bump into my water-seeking colleague, Erin! Most of all, I’m hoping to survive my 10-year family reunion in Taos, NM with 75 relatives.
I plan to take an immersion or class to help me better understand the mindsets of the consumer–the thought processes behind consumption and the paths to purchase. I’d also like to further my copywriting to more creatively execute our unique campaign concepts in writing! More boo-yah, less blah blah!!
Climbing Inspo from Cloud Hiking:
http://www.cloudhiking.com/mountains/rockies/grays-torreys.php
From Kim: This summer I am planning a European adventure with my best friend Hilary. We are planning to explore Denmark, Sweden, and Norway staying in AirBnBs. Inspired by AirBnB’s 2016 ad campaign “Don’t go there. Live there.” I plan to immerse myself in local culture by staying in local homes, exploring neighborhoods and attractions.
I believe you can gain insight and inspiration from any setting if you push yourself beyond your comfort zone, break routine, and try new things. I always find past experiences work their way into my thinking and approach for new projects.
A couple great AirBnB’s for the Nordic traveler:
https://www.airbnb.com/s/Denmark?guests=2&ss_id=603xngtl&s_tag=l8fx5wsf
https://www.airbnb.com/s/Sweden?guests=2&ss_id=eytd1nad&s_tag=hMiKDI0Y
https://www.airbnb.com/s/Norway?guests=2&ss_id=b45jyxcl&s_tag=-OESqntP
From Nina: This summer, I plan to go camping in Colorado for the first time. I use to camp quite a bit when I lived in Wisconsin, but have not yet had the opportunity in Denver. When I do go camping, I plan to have the full experience… tent, sleeping bag, no electricity etc. I love being out in nature without any distractions or obligations. Fishing, swimming, and cooking food over the fire will all be part of the experience.
Lonely Planet’s Top Travel Tips:
From Andrea: This summer I will be bustling with my busy family. It’s my favorite time of year. When the temps heat up so does the family activity. Along the way, my bucket list includes a reflection. A simple idea. I am inspired by the concept of Bright Spots. What better time than the hot and sunshine-y summer months, right? Metaphorically it’s the concept of learning from what works well, instead of focusing where there is a problem. Investing energy in challenges and imperfections is human nature–but does it keep us looking backward instead of forwards? Mindfulness of where and why there’s a positive glimmer, and how it can be replicated, is powerful. Synonyms for Bright Spots include masterpiece, inspiration and miracle, dream and marvel. Whether it’s people or places or moments. I like it. A summer agenda that will carry inspiration forward even when the sun sets and we’re all back to business.
From Heather: Exploring northern Minnesota, soul revival with nature, anxious to be completely off the grid.
Remove the fluff, simplify, use a ‘back to nature’ lens for how we develop and present creative deliverables.
From Joanie: This summer, I plan to focus a lot of my free time on improving my photography by taking a workshop or two. Specifically, my focus will be on landscape photography as it combines two of my greatest passions – the outdoors and photography.
The feeling, perspective, and beauty I experience when exploring—whether in the woods, on the side of a cliff, by the sea, or in even in the desert—trigger a magnetic-like pull for me to walk deeper into their beauty. It keeps me continuously craving to know more, feel more, see more, and become more. And photography is the only outlet I have for capturing these expansive, yet resolute moments.
Being able to take my passion for photography and apply it to other aspects of my life is another great joy, and being able to use photography in applications for BrandJuice has been incredible.
Additionally, I hope this will also infuse a new creative lens into the way I think about our work at BrandJuice. Out-of-category experiences and refreshed sources of creativity can make a world of difference in reframing our perspectives.
By stepping into nature and away from my everyday schedule, I plan to completely relax and recharge. I value the same simplicity in design and need reminders every now and then to declutter and focus on what is really important.
We hope our summer bucket list provides a mutual spark, to seek out positivity in your community or out in the astounding backcountry. To be juicy requires ripening. Summer gives us this excuse to ripen, or in other words, expand our minds with unexpected opportunities.