The Graphic Art of Dale Flattum

You may not know Dale, but if you know us you've seen his work. He's a graphic designer in our COPYCATS office, and he's the mastermind behind several of our design projects.

He created the artwork for our holiday mailings the past couple of years, and this year he also designed pint glasses for COPYCATS - nothing says cheers like a glass ready to be filled.

His talents, though, extend far beyond the reach of his desk and art aficionados will be excited to know that Dale recently released a full-length book of his artwork - called, inexplicably - TOOTH.

Here's what Dale has to say about the book:

"When I was 16 years old, I tore a weird looking poster off a telephone pole near my house. It was crudely assembled, cheaply reproduced, and probably the greatest thing I'd ever seen.

Later, when I started to play music, the poster for the show became almost as important as the show itself. It was proof that something had happened. It was subversive propaganda. It was fun. It was addicting.

And what did you need to do it? Scissors? Glue? A Xerox machine?

And 8.5 x 11 piece of paper turned out to be a very powerful thing. The possibilities were endless."

More information about Dale Flattum, his graphic artwork and his book can be found HERE.

COMPANY PROJECTS WITH ARTWORK

CREATED BY DALE FLATTUM



The Secret Skills of our Super Staff

Company potlucks are a long loved tradition. Who doesn't enjoy sampling so much homemade food?

Yesterday we held a Holiday Potluck for all of our employees and the usual (delicious) suspects were there - spicy tamales, a pot of fragrant Mexican soup, and every appetizer and sweet under the sun.

We had an Ugly Sweater contest and a White Elephant gift exchange, but we didn't think to make the potluck itself competitive. And that's probably good, because none of us could have held a candle to Pilar, a woman who works in our assembly area.

These are frosting flowers encased in flan. Each one was the size of a baseball and she made two platters full of them. Entirely edible, totally creative and absolutely stunning.

When asked how long it took?

Oh....just two or three DAYS.



The incredibly talented Pilar, and her supervisor Linda

So even though we didn't have a Most Creative Contribution contest for the potluck, we all know that Pilar is the winner!

Thank you, Pilar, for taking the time to make our party so pretty!

Sometimes Words Just Don't Cut It...

You Say You Want A Revolution???

HECK YEAH, WE DO!

Bobby Z is perhaps most well-known for his days drumming with Prince & The Revolution but those of us here at ADS & COPYCATS Media know Bobby as our colleague and friend. Last year, he suffered a nearly fatal heart attack and as he's rebounded he has committed to help spread the word about heart health.

On Sunday, February 19th - for one night only - Bobby Z will join together with fellow bandmates for a rare Revolution reunion show.

This is an amazing chance to get downtown for some crazy great live music, all while supporting a worthy cause.

City Pages wrote it up in their Year in Music feature, which you can read here.

Or, better yet, click here to purchase tickets. Show us your HEARTS, Minneapolis!

Holidays

The ADS Group will be closed on Monday, December 26th and Monday, January 2nd. We'll be spending time with our families and hope you'll be doing the same.

Regardless of which holidays you celebrate, please take a moment to consider those around you. The economy has been challenging for many of us and people everywhere are struggling. Is there something you could do between now and the end of the year to make someone's day better or brighter?

Buy that bell-ringer a cup of warm coffee!

Carry those groceries for that elderly lady!

Thank a veteran warmly and sincerely!

If you have a couple of hours to invest, volunteer opportunities abound this time of year. Here are just a few websites to get you started.

www.volunteermatch.org

www.feedingamerica.org

www.servicenation.org

This holiday season, be warm and be well and if you aren't in a position to give to others financially, please remember that actions have always spoken louder than words.

Happy Holidays!

A Rock Star in Our Midst

Third from left: Jac Cornelius,
one of our ROCK STAR account managers

Although the bulk of our business is corporate B2B, often people hear the word CD and their mind turns immediately to music. At The ADS Group, we've long been proud partners to Cities 97 on their annual sampler album, which always features one or two local bands who are bursting into the scene.

We aren't a record label and we aren't primarily an audio house, but we do love our music - and our team. From time to time, we'll introduce you to musicians we know and love.

Meet Jac Cornelius. By day, he's an Account Manager at The ADS Group - but by night, he's the guitarist for The Union Suits, an alt-country band here in Minneapolis.

Their debut album will be out early next year and you can catch them every Sunday night at the Nomad pub. Check them out on Facebook to keep in the loop on upcoming gigs.

Maybe we'll see you at the Nomad?

And who knows? Maybe YOU'LL see Jac on the Sampler some year.

Why We Do What We Do

We've told you about IOCP - Interfaith Outreach Community Partners. We produced the Telly award-winning fundraising video they used to raise money to move into their new space.

They were so happy with the results of the fundraiser that they came back to us to develop another video - an identity video about their organization and the great work they do in our community.

The Telly was great. It's nice to have it to display on our awards wall. But you know what's even better?

Receiving letters of gratitude from happy clients. This is why we do what we do!

Babies: A True Story

Do you have small children asking where babies come from?

Are they suspicious about the stork?

Babies: A True Story, is the app for you. Author Tracy Karney turned to us to help her develop an interactive application that told her story - a story for parents to use to help explain pregnancy and childbirth in a way that children can understand.

This colorful story is available through the Apple store, and is competing right now as App of the Week - an honor that would offer exposure to so many of the parents who would benefit from this helpful tool.

Click here to LIKE this application, developed by Studio 120, and help us spread the word about where babies really come from.

When Author Tracy Karney needed a partner to help

 create her interactive application, she turned to Studio 120!

Sampler Volume 23 - On Sale Now!

Today's the day!

As the mercury dropped to 17 degrees last night, most of us were tucked snugly beneath our warm comforters. But 33,000 Minnesotans are braving the cold to wait in line at area Target stores for their copy of the Cities 97 Sampler, Volume 23.

For $25.97, they are getting bragging rights. It's COLD outside.

For $25.97, they are getting 19 exclusive tracks recorded specifically for the Sampler by artists around the world.

For $25.97, they are helping to support dozens of charities in our community. Perhaps these funds will buy comforters for those who don't have the luxury of being snuggled beneath their own on a cold November morning.

It's cold outside, but we Minnesotans have warm hearts.

Thank you to everyone for supporting this year's Sampler!

Cities 97 Sampler Party

 Lauren MacLeash of Cities 97 - the brains behind the Sampler!

 Lauren was presented with an award for her work

on the Sampler, which benefits dozens of MN charities

Baby, It's Cold Outside

The low temperature tonight in Minnesota will hover around 23 degrees. Cold as that might sound, in just a few short months, we'll be aching for the mercury to crack 20.
For upwards of ten thousand Minnesotans, a cold night doesn't mean an extra blanket or a cup of cocoa by the fire. It means survival.

One of our clients, IOCP, kicked off its annual sleepout event this past weekend. The event raises both awareness of and funds to fight homelessness. CLICK HERE for more information about how to support the 2011 Sleepout.

Peter Larson, an energetic local teenager, slept out 30 consecutive nights last year - that's a whole lot of chilly! See his tips on staying warm against the odds.

Whether it's warm enough or not, we'll take our hats off in honor of Peter and his enthusiasm for this cause that hits - well -  closer to home than most of us may ever realize.

What Can YOU Do With $25.97?

On November 17th, just one week away, you can purchase a Cities 97 Sampler. Volume 23 will be in Target stores across the Twin Cities beginning at 8 AM. (Tip: The Nicollet Mall Target location will open at 7 AM that day!)

For $25.97, what do you get?

You get a beautifully packaged copy of the exclusive Cities 97 Sampler, with tracks by Adele, David Gray, O.A.R. and more.

But have you wondered what the community gets?

Love.

Hope.

CRITICAL RESOURCES.

Cities 97 and their production partners have raised millions of dollars for MN charities. Take a look at the list of charities supported by last year's Sampler alone!

Angel Foundation - Link
Animal Humane Society - Link
Apple Tree Dental - Link
Blair's Tree of Hope - Link
Blue Star Mothers - Link
Brain Injury Association of MN - Link
Bridging Inc. - Link
Bryan McDonough Military Heroes Foundation - Link
Children's Safety Centers - Link
CommonBond Communities - Link
ConKerr Cancer - A Case For Smiles - Link
Emergency Food Shelf Network - Link
Emma Norton Services - Link
Faith's Lodge - Link
Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery - Link
Iris Remembers - Link
Junior League of Minneapolis - Back Pack Buddies - Link
Metro Meals on Wheels - Link
Minnesota Zoo Foundation - Dreamnight at the Zoo - Link
MS Cup Benefit for MS Society of MN - Link
Muscular Dystrophy Association - Camp Courage - Link
One Heartland - Link
Open Arms of Minnesota - Link
PACER Center - Link
Project Homeless Connect - Link
Rock The Cause - Link
Ronald McDonald House - MN - Link
Second Harvest Heartland - Link
Senior Community Services - H.O.M.E Program - Link
Sharing and Caring Hands - Link
Spare Key - Link
Special Olympics - MN - Link
Starlight Children's Foundation - Link
Susan G. Komen For The Cure - Link
The Liz Logelin Foundation - Link
Tubman Family Alliance - Link
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity - Link
University of Minnesota Pediatrics Foundation
Amplatz Hospital Adopt-A-Room - Link

For a list of participating Target stores, please click here. We'll see YOU at Target next Thursday!

Cities 97 Sampler Countdown

With only two weeks to go until the Cities 97 Sampler Volume 23 drops, we're staying buzzy and busy.

Today we've had press on site shooting footage of the manufacturing process. Stay tuned to Channel 12, WCCO 4 News, Kare 11 or Twin Cities Live for your sneak peek behind the scenes!

WCCO 4 News shooting footage of replication,

the process of molding a CD from raw materials

These discs have been replicated and printed and are ready
to head to the assembly area for packaging

One of the many smiling faces

behind the Cities 97 Sampler

FUN FACT:

Each of the 33,000 Samplers is packaged by hand

Mike Johnson, News Anchor for Channel 12

Connie Comeau, our COO, chatting with the press

about our involvement with this amazing project

Cities 97 Sampler Party Announced!

The clock is ticking! Only 17 days to go until the Cities 97 Sampler Volume 23 drops.
The ADS Group is buzzing with the production of this year's sampler - we'll be finishing up the packaging this week to get the discs distributed to Target stores in time for the much-anticipated November 17th release.

Cities 97 has revealed the locale of its infamous Sampler Party. This year, we'll be celebrating the release of Volume 23 at First Avenue on November 15th - with appearances by O.A.R. and Farewell Milwaukee - with other acts still to be announced!

Stay tuned to Cities 97 for your chances to win a pair of invites to this exclusive party. Hope to see you there!

Live Music at the Fitzgerald Theater

We've manufactured CDs for both of these artists,

 so when we heard they're teaming up for a live show, 

we thought we'd help spread the word.

Come on out for a night of live country music!

Who: YOU

What: Todd Snider & Elizabeth Cook

When: Wednesday, November 9th

Where: Fitzgerald Theater

What's Your Identity Worth?

Scriptwriting*.............................................$1400


One day of shooting...................................$1500

Three days of editing.................................$3600

Voiceover talent...........................................$300

YOUR CORPORATE IDENTITY.........

PRICELESS
*Sample Estimate - Costs Vary by Project

We understand that your identity is priceless. Whatever your budget, The ADS Group & Studio 120 can help you maximize your brand.

When King Solutions needed to drive their message outward, they turned to us to develop their corporate marketing video. We wrote the script, shot the footage and even threw in some bonus talent in the form of ADS sales rep Cory Biller (above), who made his big-screen debut in their video. Check it out!

Four figure budget?

Call us.

Six figure budget?

Call us.

We'll create the most effective and dynamic presentation possible within the parameters that you define. Studio 120 is an award winning facility with the flexibility to produce everything from corporate materials to theatrical productions.

Let us help you show the world who YOU are.

Cities 97 Sampler, Volume 23



Visit the Cities 97 site for more details!

If you live in the Twin Cities - and not beneath a rock - you've heard of the Cities 97 Sampler. An annual compilation of tracks recorded at Studio C especially for the sampler, this disc is sold exclusively through Target stores as a charitable fundraiser.

100% of the proceeds go to Minnesota charities, and when this year's disc sells out, the Sampler will have raised nearly 10 million dollars for our community over the years.

The ADS Group has been a proud partner to Cities 97 on this amazing project for ten years and will be providing the disc replication services, gratis, again for Volume 23.

With a track listing including Florence + The Machine, Sara Bareilles, David Gray and Adele, we are eagerly counting down until the release of Volume 23, in Target stores on Thursday, November 17th starting at 8 AM.

We'll see YOU at Target!!

Media Manufacturers and Male Models

The ADS Group has it all!

In addition to our prowess in the world of media manufacturing and services, our employees often demonstrate spectacular fashion sense. So fashion-foward, in fact, that PIM (Printing Industry Midwest) selected them as the male models for their September 2011 magazine cover.

At this time we'd like to request that the paparazzi respect their need for privacy, as the guys are still adjusting to their newfound worldwide Midwestern fame. No autographs, please.

A-wards and RE-wards

When Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners outgrew their Wayzata space, they knew they'd need mass funding to expand their organization. A nonprofit organization serving the western suburbs of the Twin Cities, the need for their services was escalating. IOCP runs a food shelf as well as providing housing, transportation and child care services to families in need.

They found the space they needed in a desirable location to serve their clients, but needed to raise five million dollars for the conversion and the move. With only a few months to generate the funds, they turned to The ADS Group and Studio 120 for help.

We developed a five minute fundraising video for IOCP, and using this powerful tool they were able to raise the money they needed to continue to grow this vital community resource.

It's a huge honor to be selected as a vendor helping to serve an organization such as IOCP, who pours so much love and so many resources back into our own community. Icing on the cake was being honored professionally for the development of the fundraising video.

This morning, Mitch and Tom stopped by IOCP to present them with the International Communicator award and the Telly that were bestowed upon The ADS Group and Studio 120 in recognition of the production of this fundraising DVD.

We are grateful as an organization for these Awards, but the real REward has been - and will always be - the opportunity to help better our entire community.

WCCO Good Question - Are DVDs Dead?

The recently announced splitting of Netflix services has the masses in an uproar. Moving forward, their DVD by mail program will  be taken over by Qwikster and be run and billed independently of their streaming services. This is prompting the public to ask a question.

ARE DVDs DEAD?

WCCO-4's Jamie Yuccas turned to us for the answer - a resounding NO. Mitch Waters, Executive Producer at Studio 120, spoke with Jamie for WCCO's Good Question segment.

We at The ADS Group replicate about 80,000 DVDs per day - for markets that vary from the healthcare industry to the supplemental information included with high price point products. Streaming is a great option for a retail giant like Netflix, and will certainly change trends in the media industry, but there remain myriad applications for a tangible product.

As we continue to grow our suite of services, streaming and content on demand is already becoming a larger piece of the puzzle, but physical discs are - and will likely remain - our brick and mortar for the next few years.



WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

ERA 2011: A Summary

With a short-form DRTV slot, you've got a very brief window of time to make an impact - often only thirty seconds.

One one thousand...


Two one thousand...


Three one thousand...


Four one thousand...


Five one thousand...


Without belaboring the point, thirty seconds is more time than you may realize - at ERA D2C, exhibitors were lucky to have five seconds to make their initial mark.

As one weary attendee said to Mitch Waters, "So what do you guys do? Give it to me in 25 words or less."

His answer?

We do everything.

Short and sweet, isn't it? And we do!

From script-to-screen video production, disc manufacturing and asset management, The ADS Group is ready to partner with you on your next short - or long - form message.

ERA D2C 2011 was a spectacular place for us to voice our message. According to Electronic Retailer, the official publication of the Electronic Retailing Association, almost 116 million U.S. homes have at least one TV. Add to that the nearly 160 million people who watch video content online using a computer or mobile device, and you can see the vast potential of the direct to consumer market.

Last week we made note that the fitness services and products had a stronghold at the show, so it's no surprise that Electronic Retailer's July 2011 list of the top 25 long form products sold on TV backs this up - 12 of the top 25 sellers are advertised as health or fitness products.

New to this year's show was the D2C Learning Lounge. In a world of faster, faster, fastest the ERA recognized that mini-seminars were the answer for guest speakers sharing best practices. It's not easy to wrangle folks at a convention, but by offering quick bits throughout the day, attendees were able to take a moment to get off their feet while hearing from industry experts on topics from Hot Products in a Cool Economy to The 411 on Short-Form DRTV Success.

The show is over and we all left Las Vegas winners. We won contacts and opportunities, which are priceless - and you can bet on that.

ERA: Day Two

It's clear that the focus is on fitness - even at ERA D2C. Booths for health and weight-loss supplements abound, but if pills aren't your thing, it's good to know you can slip into the Lipo Dress. Fitness equipment is a popular product for direct to consumer marketing, as evidenced by the self-boxing gear, the Perfect Push-Up and the...well, we didn't catch what product this booth was marketing.



ListenUp Espanol, a Spanish language call-center firm, had crazy traffic at their booth. No breath mints or coozies here - they hired midgets and set up a photo booth. The gentleman manning the booth pointed out that in this economy, even incremental increases in revenue are reason to celebrate - which, apparently, was how they justified their decision. If profits rise as they hope, they plan to hire giants next year.

Call center applications, payment services and media buying were the prominent services promoted at ERA. For all its behemoth reputation, the Google booth appeared slow. This poor gentlemen could barely be bothered to stay awake. Perhaps they too could have benefited from a bit of midget frivolity.

Other booths offer patent services to inventors who are certain they've come up with the newest pet rock. This cheery man was very excited to demonstrate his camera umbrella, and admittedly it worked. There was no rain damage to his equipment...inside the ballroom.

But it hasn't all been midgets and models. Meetings and messages have been our focus. Meeting with our existing clients and looking for new opportunities. Our message has been clear - ADS On Demand is the future. With a full suite of services from video development to manufacturing and asset management, it's evident that The ADS Group is infiltrating its next market - direct to consumer products that use video infomercial marketing.