Year 10 of FFM, Year 1 of Famous
Famous For Meats turned 10 this year, and it seemed like a good time to make a minor change. We’ve renamed it ‘Famous‘. The core of the program remains the same, with a few minor tweaks to its shell. This summer internship program at Fresh Produce offers a unique experience of running an ad agency, under the guidance of the Fresh Produce crew. Interns have their own clients, and projects to finish over the summer.
Before we talk about the program as ‘Famous’, we want to visit a handful of our early Famous For Meats interns. Fresh Produce has been around for 14 years, and it has hired 10 full-time employees through Famous For Meats; four of whom are current crew members. Needless to say, our internship program has contributed to our growth in different ways. [This blogpost is part two of what is now a three-part series. Read Famous For Meats: “Decade of -” Pt. 1]
ANDREW OSBORN
Famous For Meats: 2009
Current role: Associate Creative Director
Company/Organization: Archrival (adidas, Adobe, Red Bull, Teva, YETI)
Location: Amman, Jordan via Portland, OR
How did you end up applying for Famous For Meats?
As I remember it, I had been harassing Ted for side assignments and creative problems to solve. Every few weeks he would take a meeting with me, we’d review the last assignment and he’d give me the next one. After a few of these cycles, he told me they were creating the program, and I jumped at the opportunity.
Can you tell us a little about your FFM experience?
I honestly don’t remember many specifics. I think we paid too much for die-cut business cards shaped like a T-bone steak (haha).
What’s the one thing that really stuck with you about working at FP?
Two simple things which stuck with me were: 1) Don’t fear autonomy. Embrace the idea of making mistakes as part of the process. 2) Ideas are anchored in concepts, learn to talk about your ideas and what they are based in. And for good measure — 2a) Don’t take yourself or what you do for a living too seriously. 2b) Details matter. This isn’t Breadford. (Ask Ted about this one.)
Do you think FFM had a role in shaping what you do / how you work today? How?
I think FMM help shaped how I work now, sure. It gave me opportunities to own a creative perspective early in my career. Owning something like that gives you respect for the process.
What field are you working in now? Did you move away from advertising?
I technically still work in advertising, but the work we do is much more based on experience then traditional ads. Brand experience can be lumped into advertising, but it’s more story-rich and design-focused. Maybe? Maybe not, so kinda? I don’t make coupons or TV commercials (haha).
RACHEL (GERBER) MEYER
Famous For Meats: 2011
Current role: Communications Director (Freelance Project Management & Marketing Consultant)
Company/Organization: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Location: Rochester, MN
How did you end up applying for Famous For Meats?
Fresh Produce’s internship had a great reputation as a fast-paced, integrated program that lended itself to real world experience and a lot of fun. Kat Burdine was a designer at FP and happened to also be a friend of mine from Augustana. I was pretty intimidated by the FFM legacy, but Kat encouraged me to apply and to put my best foot forward. And I did!
Can you tell us a little about your FFM experience?
I worked as the Account Executive Intern for the FFM Team of 2011, The Summer of Side Salad. We really embraced the other side of the dinner plate as a group of recent college graduates; an Account Executive from Augustana, a Designer from USD, and a Writer from SDSU. We worked with various existing clients on print ads, posters, and radio spots. We also gained Fresh Produce’s first new client from an internship program, Jay Egge Automatic.
One of our biggest projects was the planning, design, promotion, and execution of the Ipso Gallery “Totem” art opening featuring 3D wooden masks by Nathan Holman. Our FFM team created paper replicas of the masks that were for sale at the reception, a large room called “The Box” that encouraged participants to wear the masks and let out their inner animal, a live stream online of all the interactions in the box, and all the promotional materials for the event.
What’s the one thing that really stuck with you about working at FP?
I was hired on board to work as a Project Coordinator at Fresh Produce after my internship and spent three years working with the crew. Fresh Produce is a unique place. Creativity is valued from everyone – no matter your role. The core idea is the most important element of any project. If the idea isn’t helpful in communicating the client’s goals in a creative way, no amount of design or other flashy element can make up for that lack of idea.
Do you think FFM had a role in shaping what you do / how you work today? How?
I learned so much at Fresh Produce. In the various roles I have held since then, I have worked with a lot of different kinds of people. Fresh Produce prepared me for that diversity with their strong perspective on the acceptance of wild ideas and lack of judgement in the creative process. I also have a great appreciation for design and art – hanging out at Fresh Produce everyday means you have access to the Ipso Gallery everyday, which is pretty amazing gift. Professionalism and fun can actually go hand in hand. Fresh Produce taught me that as I worked my buns off but also laughed my pants off through each project.
What field are you working in now? Did you move away from advertising?
I worked in the North Loop of Minneapolis at a Digital Marketing Agency, Space150 as a Project Manager on large corporate accounts: Jack Links Beef Jerky, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Jostens. We focused on our client’s social media, web presence, online digital banner ads and digital media placements, and large scale event planning and execution. My role was to wrangle the work, manage the large budgets, ensure efficiency of agency hours, and the general planning of future work and resources.
My husband was accepted to a residency at Mayo Clinic so I moved to Rochester, MN and began working at a pretty cool Lutheran church in Rochester as their Communications Director. I also do some freelance consulting to help Rochester small businesses with their project management processes, digital marketing, and branding.
At the end of our 2017 Famous For Meats, we asked Paige Leafstedt and Matthew Sebert about their summer internship experience.
Also read: Famous For Meats: “Decade of -” Pt. 1
More on our current full-time staff / past interns, and Famous 2019 application process coming soon.