Meet Megan.

Meet Megan. We recently hired her as an account executive in our fancy new Raleigh-Durham office. She is one smart lady.


If you haven't noticed already, Third Degree is a pretty lady-centric company. And we're just as apt to talk about shoes in our morning huddles are we are to brag about our latest campaigns (ahem…).

So we knew Megan was going to fit in just fine when she started coming to work rocking these babies:


and these:



Shoes say a lot about a person, don't you think? Sometimes I like to imagine them fighting for my attention when I'm deciding what to wear in the mornings. Some pairs just don't get along.



But there's one pair of shoes Megan hasn't worn to work yet:


Though she does rock them from time to time outside of Third Degree. You see, when she's not serving it up to our east coast clients, Megan serves as a Major in the Army Reserves. That's right, Major Megan. Best nickname EVER?!



Not only has she valiantly served our great country by doing two tours of duty in the Middle East, she's also currently the Commander of a Psychological Operations Company (which is basically like integrated marketing supporting U.S. objectives in other countries, though with another cool nickname: PSYOP).



Megan's experience in the Reserves made her the right woman for the job at Third Degree. She's already brought a lot of insight and strategy to our new east coast ventures. She's fitting in great. Because like everyone else here, she'll be wearing lots of hats… and… wait for it… shoes.

Welcome, Megan!

Ah, I see she went with the strappy wedge sandals today:




(Yeah... I was trying to go for something conceptual here, like, a portrait of her many different identities as a modern, multi-faceted career woman. But the final product just looks like her shoes have gained zombie-like consciousness and are mindlessly attacking her feet. Not so successful. Though it kind of makes me want to re-watch The Birds. So. That's a plus.)

Tara. Two Days. Durham.

Touchdown at Raleigh-Durham airport and am greeted by my escort with the shady shades...



... Liz. The adventure already seems full of danger and promise.



First step of the journey. Must cross a raging stream (okay, like a bubbling brook) to gain entrance to the highly anticipated North Carolina Third Degree office.



My guide leads the way unhindered.



I survey my surroundings. Red, orange and gold carpet squares, familiar, familiar... so I feel at home. But offices with walls?! I can't adapt! I must spread my crap... er, I mean... lay out the tools of my trade in the most open environment I can find, the glass-walled conference room.



My guide lets me know it's lunch time.



I'm hearing what she's laying down.





We decide to skip the smoke break.

The new office is located in Durham's American Tobacco District (hence the Lucky Strike water tower). Similar to our Bricktown home-base in Oklahoma City, it's a renovated industrial area from the turn of the century that now houses businesses, restaurants and crazy hot agencies like us, Third Degree.



And partake in what the locals call... toast. Strange, yet delicious.



All's well that ends well as the "shades" are drawn on this little adventure.

Strategic Creatives. Makin' The Moves.

It's true, at Third Degree we spread the strategic thinking around. Every department has to flex their noggins beyond typical daily duties on a regular basis. But the creatives are thinking extra hard these days, formulating their next strategic...



... well, move.



They have gone game crazy. And not in a normal geeky online fantasy game sort of way. Like in a seriously old-school, "someone break out the chinese checkers" way.



These are literally four "active" games that reside on each of their desks. So anytime someone randomly walks by, they make a move. There's some sort of system involving flipping the Third Degree patch backwards or forwards to let them know who's turn it is.



Adam, one of our newest designers ("hi Adam"), has embraced this wholeheartedly, and allowed some considerable square footage of his desk to house the playing field. Yep, no room for personal items here. Pictures of his dog, or trophies from his school days will have to find another place to reside.



Though they do have their own trophy of sorts. The traveling totem for the player with the current highest wins is the coveted dice paperweight. Brett's the current champion. But Daniel's thinking working hard to dethrone him.



Actually, Daniel is more than a board game enthusiast, he actually just designed his own interactive game for kids (not online interactive, like face-to-face interactive). Happy Birthday Robot, was just officially published and distributed to elementary classrooms all over the place.

Go Daniel. (But Brett still has the dice... no, die... er... that's a weird word... I think perhaps I need to go flex my noggin some more.)

La Cap's New Look

We've been busy launching a new brand in Louisiana lately. La Capitol (but all the cool people call them La Cap) is a statewide credit union that came to Third Degree for some branding love.



This credit union is so rooted in culture and community, that we created a look and feel for them that would organically tie them to not only the physical traits of their state but also the Louisiana state-of-mind.



Local, local, local... and credit union differentiation from banks are the main themes you'll find woven into all the messaging.



We created a brand video seen here, and a condensed version for television. Probably one of the more sincere and steeped-in-tradition animated videos we've done in a long time. Usually our animated videos (which are a great way to get a high-quality feel for a modest budget) tend to be bright and "poppy," with like toy cars or happy little wrenches. But this video for La Cap shows you can use the same execution to tap into a more heartfelt emotion as well.







Getting the employees on the bandwagon is so important it's not even funny. So part of the soft launch of the brand included a variable, specialty mailer sent to each employees home (that's right, their home), not just tacked to the break room wall. Not that break room walls aren't a very handy medium. But this kind of piece makes everyone feel "the love"... La Cap style.

Feel The Earn

My six year old, Charlie, is a little young to understand earning power. But he does have a current fixation with taking his shirt off, grabbing my aerobic-style powder blue three pound weights, and flexing his muscle power.



I'm like, "can you feel it, can you feel the burn?" He's like "oh yeah, I can feel it."



And that's where our latest concept for ABNB Federal Credit Union's rewards checking came from.



Well, it wasn't that simple, but it sounds very creative doesn't it? To just be struck by some cool concept when you're in the shower, or doodling on a cocktail napkin, or watching your child develop an obsession with having action-hero-style biceps.



So biceps and barbells became the backdrop for ABNB's high-interest checking product – one of the first of its kind in the Norfolk, Virginia market – so we're anticipating a strong (pardon the pun) return on this summer campaign.



"Why settle for wimpy checking?" We even got a handlebar mustache in the mix. You know how we feel about mustaches around here. Perhaps growing a 'stache will be Charlie's next fixation.

Hot Lunch

We decided to do a festive Friday lunch today. So we hiked over to The Wedge in our neighboring hood, Deep Deuce.



The flames are appropriate, because it was freakin' hot.



But we wanted to sit outside and soak up some sun (as well as some camaraderie) considering that just a few days ago the weather looked like this:



Freaky.



However the sun did get a bit intense.



It was then that we noticed Daniel's self made sun-beating-down-on-your-neck deflecting napkin accessory.



But our ridicule quickly turned into mimicry. That's Andrew at the end. Our newest art director (another pale-skin redhead... so you know he doesn't want to burn).



This is the moment he realizes what he's in for at Third Degree. Case in point, see our fearless leader Roy down there at the head of the table... his napkin styling choice... on his head.

Happy hot Friday!

Web Cookies

Yesterday morning Kande got a special delivery of custom-made cookies she commissioned for three, yep, three client web sites she launched last week.





These are actually a hodge-podge of unrelated projects, so it takes a little diagramming to show you which cookie is for what.



The pink ones with little frosting (a-hem) undergarments – are for Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates.



The CSA site redesign features a much cleaner navigation and a cool before-and-after photo gallery. While the TFCU Partners site update has more built-in interactivity, more regularly updated content, and a modern spiffed-up look.



Then there's the Save-A-Tron web site. Super cute... He blinks! He beeps! There's a pig with a hairbow! (Hence the cookie version.) This is TFCU's new youth account site, complete with games, tips for parents and teachers and crafts. And if you don't know about Save-A-Tron, check him out here.



So, needless to say, Kande was busy making special deliveries to lots of happy clients that day. Meanwhile, Jentry's "special delivery" still has a month to go... so it's best to keep her away from your cookies 'til then.