Rachel's Campaign Tips! Tags: Tips to Win, Campaign, Rachel, Member Support Campaign: none   35 Reviews Added: 12/2/2006 12:17 PM PT Last Modified: 10/16/2008 11:14 AM PT
Rate

Hey everybody! I spend a lot of time checking out all your awesome campaign entries, so I’ve got some ideas on how to help your entries rally as much enthusiasm as possible. I want to share some tips with you because I want to see all of you do well, and because I get asked a lot of questions about campaigns in general.

A great way to rally support for your entry is to use the tools in the Share This Entry box found on the page of your entry to spread it across the internet. Use the tools here to:

• Post to Websites - Click this button to post the entry on your Myspace, Xanga, LiveJournal, Friendster, and Tagged accounts.
• Email to Friends - Use this option to send the entry to your friends on Brickfish or enter the email addresses of your friends outside of Brickfish.
• Bookmark - This tool allows you to favorite an entry outside of Brickfish. Use it to share an entry on sites including Facebook, Digg, Technorati, StumbleUpon, and more!
• The URL link works in emails and IM's and anywhere else you can post a link!
• The Embed code works in websites and blogs. Just copy the code and paste it on a forum, in a bulletin or blog, etc. to share it with everyone you know!

If you look through the Winners Page, you will notice that most of them have a profile pic (even if it’s a Brickfish pic) and a lot of them have taken some time to fill out some of the information there.

• If you don’t want to share any personal info, be sure to check out http://www.brickfish.com/mysteriousmrx to see how a profile can still look cool and have no personal info. This obviously isn’t a requirement to do well in the campaign, but it can really help in establishing who you are.
• It’s definitely important to notice that the winners are frequently checking in to Brickfish and participating in various activities, such as voting for and reviewing other campaign entries.

I get asked a lot of questions about blogs and pictures, so here is some advice on them:

• If you are entering a blog into a campaign and you have relevant pictures, you should consider putting the pictures in the blog.
• To enter pictures when you are writing or editing a blog, use the Insert Image button  and then select a picture already there, or upload a new one from your hard drive.
• Different fonts and formatting can really make a blog more interesting to read. We've provided you with all the tools to change the colors and fonts of the text, so use them to grab people's attention!

When you submit an entry, realize that first impressions are important and consider adding a catchy caption since this shows up like the entry title.

• I also recommend adding some info in the Description of the entry to explain the context; for example, describe the inspiration of your poster design or the setting of your photo.
• The more information you give about your entry, the more people will get what you’re trying to do.

Thanks for taking the time to read these suggestions.  I really hope they help you pull ahead in your campaigns!

Rachel   
The Brickfish Team

Rachel's Tips on Scoring Tags: Campaign: none   30 Reviews Added: 4/25/2008 11:54 AM PT Last Modified: 10/16/2008 11:09 AM PT
Rate

Hello Brickfishers! 

 I have noticed many questions and comments regarding the scoring of our campaigns.

I wanted to clear a few things up for you and hopefully clear up any confusion regarding the way score works.

Here are some questions and comments I have received:


Why isn't there a place on the site that details how score is calculated?
A lot of people ask us for detailed information on how score is calculated. We only reveal certain information in order to protect our participants against those that may want to violate our terms of use. We want to foster an environment where people can create, promote and watch honestly and fairly. In order to maintain a level playing field, we must keep certain aspects of calculating score private.

Why is my score going up and down?
Score increases and decreases based on the interactions with your entry including votes and viral activity.

We are very passionate about making sure that all campaigns are a level playing field for everyone. We work hard to protect campaign participants against people who violate our member guidelines and terms of use. We know when people are violating the rules and that impacts an entry’s score.


Someone marked a review of my entry as “unhelpful” – will that hurt my score?
When a person marks a review as “helpful” or “unhelpful”, it has zero impact on score. Marking reviewing is a feature that allows people to filter and sort the reviews separate from the campaign.

 
Why did someone win who had fewer votes?
All campaign winners are determined by what is stated in the rules specific to that campaign.  Official rules can be found on the Campaign Detail page. If the winner is based on score, score takes other factors into consideration beyond votes such as viral activity.


I found someone who is not eligible participating in the campaign, why is that? 
Entries that do not meet the eligibility requirements are ineligible to win the contest but may remain part of the campaign.  Rest assured, Brickfish and our sponsors verify the eligibility of all potential winners prior to awarding any prizes. If someone at the top is not eligible as per the rules of the campaign, alternates are selected down the line.


How come I get an auto email when I send you a question?
As soon as someone sends us an email, we like to send an auto email to let that person know that we have received it. We personally read every single email that comes into membersupport and reply to them as quickly as possible.


Do you have any tips or tricks to help me win?
We love to give people tips. In fact, we wrote a blog all about different ways that could help you rise in score and rank called "Rachel's Tips to Win". You can also find great tips in our Community Spotlight and Newsletters. If you have any good tips you'd like to share, drop us a note and we might feature you!


Bottom line my friends, we’re listening and want you to have fun creating, promoting and sharing. We know this can be frustrating and trust us, people trying not to play nice frustrates us too but we work really hard to protect the people that play fairly and ensure sure it’s a level playing field for everyone.

And finally remember, to increase your chances, please play fair, remember to read the rules, and use the tools we have provided to you with enthusiasm!


I hope this helps clarify a few things.

Thanks for hanging out!
Rachel
Your friendly Brickfish liaison.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maximize your Blog Entry views on Brickfish! Tags: Campaign: none   3 Reviews Added: 8/21/2008 1:12 PM PT Last Modified: 10/16/2008 11:07 AM PT
Rate

Maximize your Blog Entry views on Brickfish!

Hey Brickfishers!  I've noticed that many of you have questions or are struggling with using our built-in editing and formatting tools when creating your blog entries on Brickfish.  I want to try to help explain these tools so that you can rest assured that your entry is viewable, dynamic and wonderful. This will maximize your chances of winning campaigns on Brickfish!

 This button is commonly known as the 'spell check' button, and allows your entry to be spell checked so that any errors that you might have made will be corrected to make your entry easier to read


This button allows you to undo the last thing that you did in the blog entry- whether it is text, a photo, or a link.


This button allows you to insert a link into your blog.  To do this, you have to highlight the text within the blog that you want to have hyperlinked, and then click this button.  You will then put in the URL of the site you want your link to lead to if it is clicked, and click 'Save'.  You will then see that the highlighted text has turned blue and is clickable!


This button allows you to create a table to organize information if that's what you'd like to do!

 

These buttons allow you to decide how you want your text to be shaped in the blog- Justified to the Left, Right, or in the center.


These buttons allow you to insert lists into your blog- numbered, or bulleted.


 This button allows you to insert an image into your blog.  Once you place the image in your blog, you can click on the corner of the image that you have inserted and drag it to resize it so that it fits nicely within the window.  This is important when making blog entries to campaigns because you want your image to fit within the blog without having to scroll over- as it makes the format confusing and hard to read.


I hope this clears things up a bit for you, and if you have any further questions feel free to send them my way!

Thanks for hanging out!

Bridget

More Chances to Win on Brickfish! Tags: Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 7/31/2008 3:17 PM PT Last Modified: 9/19/2008 7:24 PM PT
Rate

More Chances to Win on Brickfish!

Did you know you don’t even have to enter a campaign to win on Brickfish? There are many ways you can win, including voting, reviewing and sharing! Check out some of these great campaigns and make sure to support your favorites for a chance to win some cool prizes.

Brickfish Gas Card Design 
Every time you vote or review in the campaign, you are automatically entered into the weekly sweepstakes to win a $100 gas card!

"Soccer Mom" Symposium
Vote or review in this campaign for your chance to be selected to win $100 scholarship or cash!

 

 
Brickfish Photo Shoot out 2 
Sometimes people have a better time looking at great photos than actually taking them. Five winners, who vote and review for their favorites will be randomly selected to win a $100 scholarship.

 
Brickfish Political Dream Team
Who would you vote for? Three winners who participate in the campaign by voting or reviewing will be awarded a $75 scholarship.

 
  Favorite Accessory
  Vote or review in this campaign for your chance to be randomly selected to win $100 cash!

 
  I Can't Live Without My...Parent's Edition
  Participate in this campaign by voting or reviewing and you may be randomly selected to win $50  
  to pamper yourself with!

 
Show Us Your Halloween Face!
Participate in the campaign by voting or reviewing, and you could be randomly  selected to win $50 cash or scholarship!
 

Love Affair of the Sole
Each week, one lucky winner who signs up for the Marshalls email list by filling out the form in the Campaign Highlights area of the “Love Affair of the Sole” campaign or the opt-in from the Submit Entry tab, will be randomly selected to win a $100 gift certificate to The Marshalls Shoe Megashop !

Show Us Your Power Play!
One winner, who signs up for the NCSA email list by filling out the form in the Campaign Highlights area of the Show Us Your Power Play Campaign or who opt-in from the Submit Entry tab, will be chosen randomly each week to win a NCSA Dri-FIT t-shirt !

 
Show Us Your Ink!
All you have to do is show your sweet ink for a chance to randomly win $50 cash!

A Dream Come True for Emily Noxon Tags: Campaign: none   6 Reviews Added: 7/8/2008 9:24 AM PT Last Modified: 7/8/2008 11:18 AM PT
Rate

A Dream Come True!  by Emily Noxon I LOVE RASCAL FLATTS!!!! Singing with them was what I thought it would be and more! The Gibson tour bus came to pick me up from my hotel and it was incredible! Leather seats, sweet guitars, big screen TVs, a piano, a jukebox, shower, beds and an awesome driver named Robert. He was so cool! He had just had his "Lucille" signed by B.B. King and it hung there for everyone to see. We got to the venue and the bus was parked next to all the other buses. There were at least 10 of them! Every time I go to a concert I think to myself, "Oh, I wish I could go back there." This time, I was back there and people walking by were thinking that when they saw me!! It was so surreal!! Ashley Heron from Lyric Street records came to the bus to take me to the sound check. They switched the song I was supposed to sing from "What Hurts the Most" to "Bless the Broken Road". It's a good thing I'm a fan and know the words to all of their songs! I walked on the stage and Joe Don walked up to me and hugged me! We chatted for a minute and I told him how excited I was for this. He introduced me to the band and they started playing. Jay came up and welcomed me and I was trying so hard to keep myself composed. I couldn't believe I was practicing with Rascal Flatts! I started singing and out of nowhere Gary appeared. The best part was them treating me like a musician. I really felt like part of the band and that they respected me. The sound check was SO cool! We even got to have dinner with Jay's mom. She is so fantastic and classy. She told us how proud she is of the guys. And, she told us some of Jay's embarrassing moments but she made me promise not to tell. Hehehe. We went back to the bus so I could change for the private meet and greet. Yeah, private. Ashley came back to get us and took us to the VIP room where we waited for the guys. They are so great. They are funny and friendly and it's no wonder why everyone loves them. They gave me an autographed Les Paul Studio guitar and Joe Don even taught me a chord! We were in the pit for the concert. I didn't want to miss the beginning and I am glad I didn't. Rascal Flatts always rocks the house and this was no exception. All three of them saw me in the pit and waved and it made me happy. Ashley walked me backstage before I was supposed to go on and they put my ear buds in and handed me my microphone. It said "Gary 2" on it. I was holding Gary's mike!!! I was getting so excited. Everyone was asking me if I was nervous but I wasn't. I was too excited to be nervous. I had waited my whole life for this! The song started and I was waiting off stage. Gary said my name and I walked out and the crowd went nuts! They didn't even know me and they were screaming for me! I sang my little heart out and it was everything I had hoped for. The crowd sang along and actually wanted to touch me! It was so exhilarating and I can't describe the emotions I felt. Singing is my passion and being on stage is where I FEEL that passion. Rascal Flatts knows what that feels like and they are so lucky to be doing it full time. As I was leaving the stage Gary hugged me and so did Jay. Then, Jay grabbed my arm and pulled back out to the middle. Joe Don high 5'd me and I could have cried. The guys have the best fans in the world. This experience has been such a thrill and I met some of the nicest people that I never would have met otherwise. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Be a Milk Rock Star with Rascal Flatts! Tags: Campaign: none   2 Reviews Added: 6/6/2008 3:28 PM PT Last Modified: 7/8/2008 11:10 AM PT
Rate

1 day to go!  by Emily Noxon The Chicago airport is full of fun! You can find a lot of things to do in an airport when you sit in it for four hours.  :)  I got all packed last night and I had to remind myself to breathe. I can't believe it's here!! We are on our way to Indianapolis and I will be with Rascal Flatts TOMORROW!!!! We got up really early to make it to the airport on time and I slept for most of the flight. Sleeping is good. We get to Indianapolis in a couple of hours and I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. It is really going to be one of the best days of my life! I really can't say thank you enough to everyone who got me here.  Dreams do come true!! Never quit trying!!! 2 days and counting by Emily Noxon Oh, wow!  I love being on stage soooo much!  I performed last night at the Celebrity competition and it was fantastic!  There is something about being on stage that just energizes me.  People were dancing around, clapping along and it just makes me so happy!  I could sing ALL day long! I met with my vocal coach yesterday and I am so glad he is there to help me.  He gave me some more great exercises to get my voice into shape and I am pumped.  This is going to be so great!! I was on TV this morning and it was so fun!  It is amazing to see how everything works and all the time and effort it takes to put a morning show together.  The reporters were so nice and singing on TV is something I could definitely get used to!  Everyone was so nice to me and made me feel like a part of the family.  I leave tomorrow morning!!!  I can't believe it's almost here!  The video camera came in the mail yesterday and the fun begins tomorrow!!  My face hurts because I am smiling so much and I can't wait to be on my way!  3 days and counting by Emily Noxon My hair is ready!!  I decided to go all blonde for Rascal Flatts.  I figure they like blondes because they always sing about blondes.  And, blondes do have more fun...hehehe. I talked to Rachel at Brickfish yesterday and they are sending me a video camera so I can record everything.  I hope none of you mind seeing me without make-up.  I have to get up really early Friday morning but I promise I will still be smiling!! Today is the mother of all days.  I have my vocal lesson, workout and I am performing tonight.  I just had another radio interview which is always cool.  I love the radio!!  And, I will be singing on TV tomorrow morning!  This just keeps getting better and better!!!  I can't believe it is only three days away!  The smile on my face keeps getting bigger and I can't wait for Saturday!!!! 4 days and counting by Emily Noxon I got a manicure and pedicure last night.  It was so fantastic!  I really hate feet and I really don't like it when other people touch my feet but for some reason pedicures don't bother me.  Now my nails are prepared for Saturday night! My training session last night almost killed me. Jake said we were going to work the whole body with less weight and more reps.  It was a LONG hour but I made it through.  Only two more sessions before I leave.  It's only going to get harder.  And, I went to bed early last night!  YAY!!!  I have to get up early everyday this week so I need all the sleep I can get.  I am hoping to go to bed early tonight also because tomorrow is going to be a marathon of a day.  I have to be to work really early. I leave work early to go to my vocal coach and as soon as I get home from that Jake will be there to work me solid for another hour. Then, I go to be the emcee for the Celebrity competition.  It is going to be a long day but I'm excited to be so busy.  I am getting my hair done tonight. I have the best hairstylist EVER!  She has been doing my hair for just over a year and she always knows when I need a change.  She's the best.  And, getting my hair done always makes me feel pretty.  I am down to four days and everything is almost ready!  All I have to do now is PACK!!!     5 days and counting by Emily Noxon The rest of the weekend flew by.  I went on a date with my momma on Saturday night.  We went to see "Stomp" and it was incredible.  The performers had such amazing energy and it just got me excited to be on stage.  Plus, my mom is the coolest ever!  We are best friends and it so awesome to be able to spend time with her. After the show, I went with my sister to an 80's dance party.  We wore our tutus and danced around like crazy people. It was such a good time.  Dancing like no one is watching is so fun!  Sunday was peaceful.  I went to church and everyone is so excited for me.  The people at church are some of my biggest fans and I appreciate them so much! Then, I took a four hour nap.  Sleeping is a luxury and Sunday is pretty much the only day I get any sleep at all.  I am a fan of the nap.  And, since I am too excited to sleep now that the concert is only 5 days away(!!!!!) the nap was very needed.  Five days...five days!!  I can't believe it.  I have a smile permanently attached to my face and every time I hear Rascal Flatts, I giggle.  Hopefully, I will have gotten the giggles out of my system by Saturday so they don't think I am complete loon. But, then again, giggling is contagious so maybe I can get them to join in on the fun.  :) 7 days and counting by Emily Noxon I found the jewelry!  It took two malls, one outdoor shopping center and a lot of walking, but I finally found it!  It is such a relief to not have to worry about that anymore.  Phew. While Amanda and I were driving around today we realized that this time next week we will be hanging out with Rascal Flatts!!  It's total craziness!  I get to hang out with the "gang"!   I have been practicing what my vocal coach gave me and I can't wait to practice with the guys.  It is unreal to me that I will be sitting with them as a fellow musician.  I look up to them so much and I am eager to learn from them.  I am sure they can teach me so much.  Only seven more days....SEVEN!!!!  I hope this week doesn't go by as slow as the last one.  Indianapolis, here I come!! 8 days and counting by Emily Noxon So, the shopping didn't go so well. Finding jewelry is hard. I think I hit every store in the mall and I couldn't find what I was looking for. I don't really know what I am looking for but when I find it I will know. It's silly but that's how I shop. I have the best boss in the world. I have been coming late and leaving early a lot since I found out I won and he hasn't complained at all. I work in the greatest place and I am so glad they all support me. All my co-workers want to come to the concert but we can't close the clinic for them to come. I am so lucky to have such amazing friends. While I was driving to work this morning I realized that by this time next week I will be in Indianapolis!! One more week! It's crunch time, but everything is planned. Being patient is not one of my strong points so the next week should be interesting. Very interesting...:)

9 days and counting by Emily Noxon Exercise is rough. I worked out three times yesterday. Three! I get up early to do half of my cardio because I can't do it all at once. The treadmill is boring. My trainer came last night to work my upper body. He is pushing me extra hard so I am in shape for the concert. I swear he is trying to kill me. When I started working with him I couldn't lift anything, pull anything, walk quickly or talk while I exercised. Now, I have lost 15 pounds and I can lift 100 pounds and run up the stairs without getting winded. I am glad I am getting healthy; I just wish it were easier. Then, before I went to bed I did the other half of my cardio. I wonder when exercise gets fun. Today, I will be shopping for the perfect jewelry. I need a killer necklace and bracelet for the outfit. It's a good thing my assistant/sister is going with me. When I go shopping by myself I try things on and think they look so great and when I get them home I wonder what I was thinking. Hopefully, I will find good things so I can post pictures tomorrow! Only 9 more days!!!!! WOOT WOOT!!!

10 days and counting by Emily Noxon Last night I had my first TV interview! It still blows my mind that people actually want to talk to me. They asked me how I found out about the contest and my reaction to winning. I never get sick of telling people that it is the coolest thing that has ever happened to me. You always hear about people winning the lottery and you think, "Nothing like that ever happens to someone like me." But, this is like winning the lottery to me! I am so excited/grateful/blown away by this whole thing. There are so many things to do to prepare! I am meeting with my vocal coach tonight and I am hoping he can help me get my voice ready. I already have my outfit picked out and I can't wait to wear it on stage! Let me know what you think!! And, my trainer, Jake has me doing enough cardio to kill anyone. Exercise is a necessary evil and maybe someday I will like doing it. But, it's the price you pay to look good! My whole family is so excited to come with me. I am so grateful that they are coming. They have been there to support me no matter what and it brings me a lot of comfort knowing that they will be in the crowd. I could just scream all day long!! I have to remind myself to keep taking deep, cleansing breaths so I don't hyperventilate. June 14th keeps getting closer and I get more elated every day. Hey...that's a Rascal Flatts song. Hehe. Only 10 more days!!! Woohoo!!

Brickfish Etiquette Tags: Campaign: none   2 Reviews Added: 3/24/2008 10:38 AM PT Last Modified: 6/20/2008 4:09 PM PT
Rate

Brickfish™ Etiquette

1. Be a valuable and contributing member of the Brickfish community.
   • Our users are everything to us and you make the site what it is.
   • We want you to support each other's entries and enjoy hanging out here.
   • We appreciate any and all feedback, so send your thoughts to Member Support.
2. It is never o.k. to create multiple accounts.
   • You're either a Guest or a Registered Member, NOT BOTH.
   • No, we don't believe that you had 500 people come over for a slumber party and they all created accounts to vote for you.
   • We know when you do this, so don’t waste your time.
3. Share your creativity and express yourself.
   • We want you to inspire each other and us with your originality.
   • Copying other people’s work and ideas is not cool, plus it violates our Terms of Use and you open yourself to legal issues.
4. Don't spam fellow members.
   • Leaving "Check out my entry" messages in everyone's profile comments or inboxes is really lame.
   • If you annoy other people by doing this, they’re probably not going to look at your entry.
5. Leave constructive, meaningful reviews.
   • People who spend quality time on their entries would love to hear your praise and constructive criticism.
   • Nobody likes a phony - copying & pasting the same review in every entry you see just makes you look stupid.
   • If you get on people's nerves, do you really think they will support your entry?
6. It is never a good idea to upload content that violates our Terms of Use.
   • We want everyone to have a pleasant experience while they’re here.
   • If you upload photos or videos of yourself breaking the law, you open yourself to legal prosecution.
   • We monitor all campaign entries and we have to remove anything that is not allowed.
7. Follow the requirements of a campaign when entering.
   • Please read the campaign details and requirements so we don’t have to remove your entry.
   • There is nothing more irritating than seeing pictures of you and your boyfriend in a campaign asking for tour poster designs.
   • We’re going to remove anything that shouldn’t be in a campaign because we can.
8. Share.
   • Share your opinions, entries, and thoughts with your friends on Brickfish.
   • Use the Share This Entry tools to post entries on sites other than Brickfish.
   • Spread the word about Brickfish to people who haven't heard about it.
9. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
   • Come on... do we really need to explain this one?
10. It is not acceptable to try to cheat or game Brickfish.
    • We're watching and we know what you're doing, so knock it off.

Fundamental Rules for Campaign Entries

• We request that you respect copyright. When you post content (pictures, videos, and words), you're telling us that you have full permission to do so. If we find out that you're infringing on any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, or other proprietary rights of any party, we'll have to remove your content. This means don't represent anything as your own that you didn't create. Concerning entries submitted into campaigns, you may not include anything to which someone else owns the copyright; examples include music tracks that were downloaded, clips of copyrighted programs, or videos you did not create, unless you have the permission of the owner. Images downloaded off of the internet do not become your own until they have been significantly altered. If you believe that your work has been copied and posted in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, please contact us as described in our Copyright/Publicity Rights Policy.
• We will not tolerate anything that can be construed as pornographic or sexually explicit content. If you think your content might fall into this category, please don't waste time uploading it. Please be advised that we are required by law to report any possible existence of child exploitation.
• We will not permit any depiction of real violence. If your content represents a person or animal getting abused physically, mentally or emotionally in any way, do not submit it to the site.
• We are not for promoting graphic content. Please do not upload highly sensitive material, such as photos of dead bodies. As a rule of thumb, if your content would make a normal person (someone in between Charles Manson and your grandma) feel sick, it's probably too graphic for our site. This includes war footage if it is intended to shock or disgust viewers, rather than show a journalistic approach to an issue.
• We have zero tolerance for stalking, harassment, threats, privacy invasions, or any other type of predatory behavior, including the revelation of other users' personal information.
• We will not allow representations of dangerous or illegal acts, like drug use or instructions on mixing dangerous or explosive chemicals.
• We will always promote the fundamental right of free speech and defend the user's right to express individual points of view. However, we will not tolerate any representation of bigotry or hate speech. If you've got something to say, say it with class, not with hate.
• We reserve the right to delete any content in violation of the Terms of Use. If we deleted it once, we had a good reason and we're going to delete it again if you try and repost it.

Please try to adhere to these guidelines, as they were created to protect the users and to establish a satisfying community. All infractions of Member Guidelines and Terms of Use are handled on a case-by-case basis. In such cases as determined eligible by Brickfish staff, violations may result in permanent removal of a member from the community.

Respect Everyone in the Brickfish Network

Our movement is about creating a conversation between a brand and a user which encourages expression of ideas on multiple levels. If you have something to say about a brand or someone's interpretation of that brand, you have the power to support it or not through features like reviewing and voting. Regardless if you are submitting entries into campaigns or just reviewing and voting for them, everyone deserves the same level of respect and consideration. If all users are actively responsible for their actions, we can truly make a difference in the way brands talk to us.

What You Can Do?

We rely on you to help make the site what it is. We want you to take advantage of the opportunity to ignite change, so don't be afraid to jump right in and get involved.

 

• Enjoy Our Site. There's always something new to see here, and tons of users are submitting entries into campaigns every day-one of them might be you! We are just asking that you abide by our ground rules to keep the free-flowing of ideas going strong.
• Engagement and interaction are the basis of the cause. When done respectfully, your involvement can be a way to truly impact change, plus a chance to meet new people, express and explore your creative side, and make the most of your Brickfish experience. We encourage you to reach out to people who are interesting to you, respond to entries that influence you, and enter campaigns that appeal to you.
• You may find offensive content while browsing through Brickfish. If you find any posted content in violation of our Terms of Use and/or Member Guidelines send it to membersupport@brickfish.com. If you find the content personally distasteful or you just aren't a fan of an entry, don't vote for it and leave a constructive comment about how to improve it.
• We want to hear from you. At the bottom of every page there is a Feedback link for you to use. Member Support can help you with general questions. Regardless if you are having any technical problems, if you have suggestions and improvements, or if you want to tell us what you love about Brickfish, we want to hear it!

Brickfish is your environment. This is your place to shine. We all have different tastes, styles, and personalities, but let's make sure everybody feels welcome.

Thanks for your time!
-The Brickfish Team

PRESIDENT SirScion and Hammond the boxedhead! Tags: Scion, want2bsquare, Sam, Lifestyles Campaign: none   2 Reviews Added: 8/15/2007 5:03 PM PT Last Modified: 6/20/2008 4:07 PM PT
Rate

            Hear from PRESIDENT SirScion

Why did you enter the  want2bsquare, Boxedhead Design Competition?
I actually joined BrickFish with the sole goal of joining the Boxedhead competition. As you probably know from my screen name I am a HUGE fan of Scion. I actually found out about the campaign on a xB enthusiast sight, Clubxb.com, and I actually got a huge amount of support from the members of that site.

Where did you get your inspiration for your entry? 
I got my inspiration for my entry from the Scion 'culture' and all of their advertising. The fact that Scion is aimed at younger buyers also helped...especially because younger buyers are usually tortured when they go to buy a new car. Scion makes the buying process easy with thier pure pricing and amazing financing.

vintageslk got selected from the top 10! Tags: steph, Black Sabbath, Winner, Music Campaign: none   2 Reviews Added: 5/3/2007 12:37 PM PT Last Modified: 6/20/2008 3:34 PM PT
Rate

Tell us about how it feels to win on Brickfish and in particular winning this campaign?
Its amazing to have won this for my family, especially my father. Its more then I could have ever imagined. I had already told myself I wouldn’t win and if I could just get Black Sabbath to see it, that would be prize enough for me. Now that I’ve won, I can’t believe it.  I have my family, my new friends on Brickfish and Black Sabbath to thank for it.

Why did you enter the Black Sabbath – The Dio Years – Heaven And Hell Poster Contest?
I’m a second generation Sabbath fan so when my father had found out about the contest and knew that I liked to design posters for my school and for recreation so he asked if I would like to try. Knowing I could pay him back for introducing me to Black Sabbath I entered as soon as I found out.

By entering this campaign you were able to communicate your feelings and thoughts about the band through your creation, what do you think of this experience?
I’ve always felt that Black Sabbath’s music is so complex (more than it’s given credit for) - but rather than try to match the complexity of their music in a poster format, I opted for a simplified concept that I felt embodied their musical attitude.


Where did you get your inspiration for your entry?  Where do you come up with your best ideas in general?
My art teacher tells me that your first idea is often your best so when I thought of the praying silhouette picture I went with it. I also wanted to add an element of the band’s history into it, so of course I had to use the Dio horns! I don’t know where I get my best ideas in general.  If I’m inspired, it just comes!
 
What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site?  About the campaigns?
Don’t be life or death about it, no one is going to die if you don’t win the competition. Go with the experience of meeting new people and expressing your creativity. If you just have fun with it, it will end up being a much better experience.

What do you enjoy most about Brickfish?
I like all of the different doors it opens for people. There are so many chances to express your talents and their are so many people to share it with. Its amazing in this day and age to have a community of artists that all work so well together.

What are your favorite music genre(s) and your favorite band(s)?
Genre’s? too many to count. As for my favorite bands, Black Sabbath of course! I’m also a huge fan of Tori Amos and show-tunes from Broadway and Movies. For me, its important for music to have a purpose or a story. Musicians reach so many people so when they say something meaningful to their listeners, I appreciate that.

What are your goals and aspirations for this year?
This year I’ll be doing some more theatrical productions, working as a counselor at a theater camp and  getting ready for college.

Special Message from Milk Rocks and Rascal Flatts! Tags: winners, Rascal Flatts, MilkRocks, Milk Rocks, judging Campaign: none   5 Reviews Added: 5/2/2008 4:13 PM PT Last Modified: 5/2/2008 4:32 PM PT
Rate

Hey Brickfishers!

I know a lot of you have been sitting on your hands, watching the clock ticking, waiting with baited breath, anticipating the announcement of the winner in the Be a Milk Rock Star with Rascal Flatts contest

I just received a message from Milk Rocks and Rascal Flatts. They asked me to let you all know: "Thank you for being a part of the Be a Milk Rock Star with Rascal Flatts contest! Your participation has made this promotion one of our most successful to date!

We and Rascal Flatts are currently judging the entries and expect to announce a winner very shortly. Stay tuned to find out who will be singing on stage with Rascal Flatts at an upcoming show!

Be sure to check out MilkRocks.com in the coming weeks for exciting new promotions featuring your favorite artists!"

How exciting! Don’t forget to make sure all of your emails are up to date so you can receive notifications. We will also be posting the winners here:
http://www.brickfish.com/winners

Thanks for hanging out, and hang in there…;-)

Rachel
The Brickfish Team
 

Tips on Sharing your Entry! Tags: Campaign: none   7 Reviews Added: 4/8/2008 7:44 AM PT Last Modified: 4/8/2008 8:02 AM PT
Rate

Here are some ways to spread the word about your entry! Let your friends and family know they are your key to winning - plus in some campaigns they can take home prizes by voting, sharing, or reviewing your entry!
	Post to Websites: Send your entry to your MySpace, Facebook, AIM/AOL, Yahoo, Hi-5, Friendster, LiveJournal, Tagged and Xanga profiles.
	Embed your Entry: Copy and paste the Embed code to post your entry on blogs and forums.
	Bookmark: Use this tool to automatically link to your entry from sites such as Digg, StumbleUpon and more.
	Send an Email: Send a link to all your friends and family.
See your sharing in action on your very own Viral Map. Track all the places you’ve shared your entry and see how others are passing it along.
What are you waiting for? Start spreading the word about your entry today! Good Luck! The Brickfish Team

Yo' Momma wants you to read the blog! Tags: Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 3/13/2008 1:13 PM PT Last Modified: 3/13/2008 1:24 PM PT
Rate

Ok, so we really didn't get a chance to talk to your mom, but we're sure if we did, she'd tell you to go read the blog.  Hey, reading is good for you--and we have a secret message hidden in the blog.  See if you can find out what it is!  Be sure to come back and let us know your thoughts!  

Happy Brickfish'ing!

Josselyn & Your Brickfish Team!

Maria's winning design is theBalm! Tags: Maria, Fashion, theBalm, shadyLady Campaign: none   2 Reviews Added: 8/31/2007 9:32 AM PT Last Modified: 9/5/2007 5:21 PM PT
Rate

Where did you hear about the Create a shadyLady Eyeshadow Design campaign on Brickfish? Why did you decide to enter?
My good friend Jean sent me the link she found in her hotmail account and thought it was up my alley. I entered because I love that whole style and I thought I could come up with something as fun as its title name along with the possibility of free makeup.

What was your artistic influence or inspiration for your design?
I’m a big fan of 40’s and 50’s illustrators Gil Elvgren and Andrew Loomis. I consulted vintage fashion books for inspiration and hair styles. I wanted it to be bold and stand out. It is such a small space to work with so I wanted it to be seen. I chose the black and red color emphasis to mimic a risky roulette feel, like it’s a gamble if you cross this “shady lady”.

What was your reaction when you found out that Marissa, founder of theBalm, selected your design to be the inspiration of the new shadyLady product?
Crazy amazed! Its quite an honor.

When the new shadyLady is produced and you are recognized on the product, how many will you purchase from Sephora?
I will buy loads for myself and have a beauty night and give some out to my friends.

What color of eyeshadow are you hoping or thinking this new product  Will be? What's your favorite eyeshadow color?Hopefully something dangerously dark. ;) I can’t pick a favorite but I’m partial to the deeper shades such as burgundies… dark purples with shimmery slate accents.

What are your favorite fashion and beauty labels? What are your thoughts on today's trends.
I’m really loving the retro style of some beauty labels like the Balm, Benefit and Too faced: The Quickie Chronicles line. It adds an element of fun and whimsy to buying makeup. I also am liking the whole 80’s comeback influence and how they have really mixed it up and given it a more modern flair. The ornate floral lines and twines have been interesting to see in every aspect of today’s fashion and visual trends. Its also good to see how jeans have become more decorated. Embroidery canvassing back pockets are a fun addition to today’s jeans.

What beauty product can you not live without?
Rusk’s leave-in conditioner.

What was your worst bad beauty moment?
A coral bridesmaid dress in the 90’s. Poofy sleeves and a bow on the chest. Enough said!

What was your biggest fashion or beauty splurge?
I’m kind of a threadless.com shirt junkie.

If you could dress like any celebrity, who would it be and why?
The flawless style of Dita Von Tesse. She never seems to have a bad fashion day.

Hear from Krista, Maroon 5 Grand Prize winner! Tags: Krista, Music, Winners, Maroon 5 Campaign: none   1 Reviews Added: 8/15/2007 2:52 PM PT Last Modified: 8/22/2007 3:43 PM PT
Rate

How did you learn about and why did you enter the Maroon 5: Create a Cover for Monitor This! campaign?
I'm a big fan of Maroon 5, and I was browsing around their website and myspace, only to come upon a banner mentioning the contest.  I clicked the link and it looked like something fun and interesting to do, on top of that, it involved one of my favourite bands!  I also enjoy graphic design and playing around with Photoshop, so this contest was a must!

Where did you get your inspiration for your entry? 
I was (obviously) inspired by the boys of Maroon 5, and their new album, "It Won't be Soon Before Long."  They're a unique and vibrant band - which was my aim for this cover.  Magazines are supposed to stand out and catch the readers attention, and I felt that vectoring the group was a good and modern-looking way of designing this.  To be completely honest I tried making faces but it didn't look very nice, so I stuck with the faceless five and thought, "Hey it won't be Soon Before Long that the reader finds out about who this is, or what the scoop is about the bend!" 
What does it mean to you being selected as the winner?
I was honestly really surprised and overjoyed that I was selected as the winner, seeing that I haven't won a contest before!  I really enjoyed the opportunity to represent Maroon 5 in a magazine cover, and am super thankful that they chose my cover.  It's an honour to win the contest, and it gives me motivation to continue designing and doing what I like, because anything can happen!

Your design recently appeared on the August cover of Monitor This! Magazine. How did it make you feel to see your design in print?
It felt absolutely great!  When news of Maroon 5 coming to my city (Toronto) came out, I HAD to go and see them.  I went downtown my camera and a self-printed copy of the magazine design, in hopes of getting an autograph.  My friend and I headed downtown really early, and I had the "crazy idea" of walking around to possibly see Maroon 5 since I knew they were around the area.  When we were standing around and talking about our hopes of meeting Maroon 5, my friend told me to turn around.  I turned around and right behind me was Mr. Adam Levine himself in the flesh, likely coming out from an interview.  When I saw him the only thing I could say was "Hi," because it seemed as if the cat got my tongue since I was in awe of his presence. We got pictures with him, and he seemed pretty laid back but friendly.  He had a busy schedule (as always) and had to leave right away.  Even though I wasn't able to stir up the guts to ask for an autograph on my magazine cover, I wasn't worried at all.  My friend and I waited outside Much Music from 11AM until 5PM, and were able to stand front center for when Maroon 5 came out.  It was only Adam Levine and Matt Flyn at Much Music,  I was able to get both of their autographs on my magazine cover!  Adam even used my marker (which I still have) the whole time to sign things; haha it sounds quite obsessive but Maroon 5 is my favourite!  I then enjoyed the rockin' sounds of Maroon 5 perform live at Canadian Idol, which was also very fun.  This experience was definitely memorable!  I'll be seeing the fab five in October when they come back, and hopefully I'll be able to somehow ask them why they chose my cover! :)

It's really cool to know that my design was the cover of an actual printed magazine, I would have never thought such an opportunity would come to me.  If I chose to pursue graphic design, the "biggest" thoughts I had for that were possibly designing magazine spreads -- but the cover of a magazine?  It's a great accomplishment!

What advice and encouragement would others entering campaigns?
Don't let anything bring you down, and stay optimistic!  I entered this contest and the Brickfish community as a complete newbie, thinking that it was virtually impossible to win since I was new.  I checked out the other awesome entries and was quickly intimidated.  Despite my starting position at the bottom of the rankings or negative/constructive comments, I chose to keep the mentality that win or lose, the contest was fun to be a part of (especially because it was Maroon 5 related!). 


What type of music do you like to listen to - Any current favorite bands and songs?
I don't really listen to a certain genre of music - I like various types including Pop-rock, Indie, Hip-Hop and R&B.  My favourite artists include Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake and Hellogoodbye.  Recently I've been addicted to the songs on the "Hairspray (2007)" soundtrack as well!  A couple of my favourite songs are "Won't go Home Without You - Maroon 5," and "Baby, It's Fact - Hellogoodbye"

What are your goals and aspirations for this year?
When it comes to general goals I had a goal to meet Maroon 5;  coincidentally I bumped into Adam Levine himself yesterday while I was downtown.  I was in awe and the cat definitely got my tongue there, but fortunately I was able to get a picture with him!  I lined up for six hours at Much Music and was able to get some autographs from Adam and Matt of the band!  Unfortunately I didn't get to ask about anything related to my magazine design - there's always next time! Otherwise, my main goal is to complete high school with good marks, getting into a university of my preference and deciding what career path I'd like to pursue.  I also hope to enter and participate in more Brickfish campaigns when I have time.  I just want to enjoy myself, maintain my happiness and maybe meet Maroon 5 again? hehe :)

Brickfish Share Tools and Most Viral Winner Tags: Most Viral, Share Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 7/26/2007 4:02 PM PT Last Modified: 8/3/2007 12:54 PM PT
Rate

What is the Most Viral winner?
The Most Viral winner will be the person who creates the entry that gets the most attention across the internet on sites other than Brickfish. Using the Post to Websites and Embed code tools to spread your entry across the internet makes you eligible for Most Viral prizes.

Why should I use the Share This Entry tools?
These methods will drive people to your entry and increase your score. The more attention your entry gets outside of Brickfish using the Post to Websites and Embed code, the more your score increases! Using these tools, as well as the Email to Friends, Bookmark, and URL options, are also great ways to rally support from your friends on other sites and get them to come check out your campaign entry.

How do I use these tools?
When you click to view a specific entry and vote, look to the right of the entry. The Share This Entry box has everything you need to quickly and easily spread content across the web.

• Post to Websites – Click this button to post the entry on your Myspace, Xanga, LiveJournal, Friendster, and Tagged accounts.

• Email to Friends – Use this option to send the entry to your friends on Brickfish or enter the email addresses of your friends outside of Brickfish.

• Bookmark – This tool allows you to favorite an entry outside of Brickfish. Use it to share an entry on sites including Facebook, Digg, Technorati, StumbleUpon, and more!

• The URL Link works in emails and IM’s and anywhere else you can post a link!

• The Embed code works in websites and blogs. Just copy the code and paste it on a forum, in a bulletin or blog, etc. to share it with everyone you know!

Still have questions about the Most Viral winner? Send us a message or email membersupport@brickfish.com

Jeri Yoshizu-Lifestyle Events & Promotions Manager Tags: Jeri Yoshizu, Scion, Lifestyles, Interview Campaign: none   4 Reviews Added: 5/15/2007 4:44 PM PT Last Modified: 5/21/2007 2:37 PM PT
Rate

Jeri Yoshizu - Lifestyle, Events & Promotions Manager

What does your job entail as Manager of Sales Promotions for Scion?
I’m responsible for Scion’s lifestyle and brand marketing.  This includes coordinating the music and art events that Scion supports.  We have over 100 events each month. 

Part of your job is overseeing Scion magazine content, producing Scion music CD compilations, producing hip Scion events. How do you choose content and know that Scion consumers will like it?
I have a group of people in the industry I ask for suggestions.  Scion is all about experimenting so we are able to take chances with the type of music we bring to consumers.  It’s also about supporting hard-working lesser known artists.   
 
How did you land your current gig?
My background is in IT, database programming to be exact.  When the internet started to explode I wanted to get into database programming for the internet.   I got into interactive marketing, there’s no money in that.  I kept the corporate path.  Interactive leads into marketing, but it was a very steep transition.  I was lucky to be working in the interactive youth marketing group with Toyota when Scion evolved. 

What is your favorite part of your job?
Bringing new customers to the Scion brand through lifestyle events and getting unknown artists recognition for their work. 


What advice would you give to someone wanting to work as a lifestyles event planner/producer?
Be flexible, understand that it’s really hard work to make an event look seamless, and network a lot.

What do you think distinguishes Scion from other vehicles?
Scion vehicles are a blank canvas for personalization and are monospec.  They offer a lot of standard features-iPod connectivity, seat-mounted side airbags, front and rear side curtain airbags, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, etc.-that you wouldn’t expect in their class. 

If you weren't working at Scion, what would you be doing? 
Either raising dogs or sewing. 

What was the first car you owned?  What do you currently own? And what is your dream car?
My first car was a black Toyota Celica.  I drive Scion tC now.  I kind of like the new Maseratis, of course…who doesn’t?!

Ashley rallied your support to win in Metropark Tags: Ashley, Fashion, Winner, Metropark Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 5/2/2007 10:21 AM PT Last Modified: 5/4/2007 2:33 PM PT
Rate

   Ashley, Grand Prize winner in Metropark - Virtual Shopping Trip

How and when did you hear about Brickfish?
I heard of the website through a scholarship-assisting website called FastWeb.com, which was advertising a Scholarship Contest through Brickfish. Intrigued, I followed the link to find a site encouraging the creativity and ideas of its members through participation in various campaigns.

What do you enjoy most about Brickfish?
My favorite part of Brickfish is how they give many different opportunities for people to express and share their ideas. There are blog campaigns, photo campaigns, and now there are even music campaigns. There is something for everyone.

Tell me about how it feels to win on Brickfish.
It feels amazing to win on Brickfish. To know that my blog was voted for and reviewed by numerous members gives me confidence in my ability to write as well as to participate in other campaigns.

Was this your first campaign?
Yes, it was my very first. I actually wrote the blog within minutes of registering for the site. 


Why did you enter the Metropark Campaign?
I entered because for one, I enjoy writing. I keep a few various online blogs, and to be able to finally put my words to the test was exciting. I also found the web store, Metropark, to have an amazing assortment of clothing and accessories—which made me even more inclined to participate.  

By entering the Metropark campaign you were able to communicate your feelings and thoughts about fashion. What do you think of this experience?
I loved it! Like I said before, to finally get some of my ideas out there, in the public’s eye, is truly exhilarating. Although everyone has different concepts of fashion, I loved the opportunity to express my thoughts towards the diverse subject.

Where did you get your inspiration for your entry?  Where do you come up with your best ideas in general?
I got the inspiration for my entry through some events that are occurring in my life right now. I blogged about how confidence is key to being successful, which I think is the truth. I then related this to the handbag being the key to confidence, which….haha….may or may not be true. I like to think that self confidence is something that anyone can find and use as a tool to growing as a person. Material items probably wont automatically give you the key to be confident, but they sure can make you feel good on the outside, which may work itself inside.

What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site?  About the campaigns?
Advice I would like to give is: don’t be afraid to be creative!!! & don’t doubt your strengths as a writer, artist, or musician. You definitely should browse the various campaigns and give support and reviews to those you feel are expressing good ideas for each concept. Another big thing I want to say: Spend a little more than a few minutes on your campaigns!! :] Good ideas are best expressed when they are well thought out.

Get Involved in Fashion campaigns today!

What are your favorite fashion labels? What are your thoughts on fashion today? 
I can’t really say I have any favorite fashion labels, but I will say that I have many different thoughts on fashion. My biggest thought is that fashion is truly an expression of the individual and no fashion magazine or label can define what is good versus bad fashion. Everyone has their own tastes, and should be free to express them! Really, I think the way a person carries themselves when feeling fashionable is the best  representation of an awesome fashion sense! :]

What goals would you like to achieve in the next year?
In the next year, I  want to continue to succeed in my education. I am majoring in psychology, and would like continue to love and learn the subject.

If you could dress like any celebrity, who would it be and why?
Er. I guess I can’t pick out a specific celebrity, but I would definitely want to dress like one who likes to look classy—not sleazy. Comfort would also be an issue…I wouldn’t want to dress like some of the celebrities who look extremely uncomfortable in what they are wearing. So I guess that’s it—classy yet comfortable :]

What is your worst fashion moment?
Haha….my worst fashion moment would probably have to be the first couple years during high school. I had very low self esteem and really didn’t care about my appearance. My days consisted of baggy jeans, oversized sweatshirts, and going to school with wet hair. [too lazy to do anything to my face/hair in the morning]. Good thing I started to realize that looking somewhat composed for school actually made me feel better about myself….and slowly came the confidence. :]


What was your biggest fashion splurge?
Well, I got to say. I love finding good deals on things. I rarely spend a large amount of money on one article of clothing or accessory. I guess my biggest splurge would have to be…a Juicy Couture necklace that I JUST HAD TO HAVE…..haha…..

How do you justify impulse-shopping-regret?
Haha….well. I just trying to tell myself that my purchase will be worth it, if I get enough use out of it. I try not to stress too much, because the more you worry about it, the more you might regret it. NO REGRETS KIDS :]

What is your favorite outfit – that you own?
I’ve got to say…my favorite outfit consists of a nice pair of jeans [I will not compromise with jeans—I will pay whatever price if they fit well. It’s very important!]…Currently, I love Abercrombie and Fitch jeans. They fit well and I adore the dark wash!! I usually wear a nice solid-dark-colored shirt with them. I have this nice one by American Rag which is a low v-neck. I almost always wear a tank underneath, and my favorites usually come from American Eagle. They fit well and some have pretty lace on them. As far as shoes….I like comfortable ones that are preferably not made out of leather. I have an awesome pair of Macbeths that fit amazing & no animals were harmed :] haha. <3

Kadaj scored big in the Hypercomics campaign Tags: Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 5/2/2007 3:44 PM PT Last Modified: 5/4/2007 2:07 PM PT
Rate

    Kadaj, Hypercomics Select Grand Prize Winner

First off, how and when did you hear about Brickfish?
It was by an email of somebody I got. First, I thought it was a spam mail, but it wasn’t. In the mail was written that at brickfish is a hypercomic campaign running. So I surfed to brickfish, looked a bit around and entered the comic campaign.

What do you enjoy most about Brickfish?
There so many friendly people at brickfish. This is really great. And the bandwidth of the running campaigns is great, too. I think there is everytime something for anybody in.

Tell me about how it feels to win on Brickfish
It was a really great emotical feeling in me. I’ve never made the place one in a competition or campaign ever before. And to be chosen by hypercomics as the best comic book creator was really the hype for me. This feeling of success was really, really great.


Was this your first campaign?
Yes, it was. ;-)

Which one has been your favorite to participate in by entering or voting and reviewing?
I hope, I’ve understand this question right. I thought up to the end, that the comic of midnight would make the first place. He’s creating really great comics.

Why did you decide to enter the Hypercomics Campaign?
It was just a try. There was nothing to loose, there was only the chance to win. So I tried it. Just for fun, I wasn’t expecting to win. Not really.

By entering this campaign you were able to communicate your thoughts and interpretations about whatever you wanted using the Hypercomics software. What do you think of this experience?
I love creating pictures and like to put words in it. So it is really very helpful and easy to put speech and thoughts into the pictures. The Comic Book Creator is quite easy to use but really powerfull!


Where did you get your inspiration for your entry? Where do you come up with your best ideas in general?
When I drive with my car to my working place (about 30min) I get the best ideas in mind. The new story with my favorite character Deathangel was born even on this tour.

What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site? About the campaigns?
Both new members should have the courage to enter one or more desired campaigns. Hey folks, you can only win! There is really nothing to loose. So give it a try, may be you win in the near future, too?!

What goals would you like to achieve in the next year?
I’m working right now on a new comic (approx. 120 pages at least), set in the future. In my profile there are some samples of the beta version. I think in the next year it will be finished. We will see.
 

Karen Robinovitz, Fashion World Insider Tags: Fashion, Mentor, Karen Robinovitz Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 4/27/2007 4:56 PM PT Last Modified: 5/1/2007 11:57 AM PT
Rate

  Karen Robinovitz, Fashion World Insider

Karen Robinovitz got her start at Women’s Wear Daily, where she covered haute happenings and openings in New York for over three years. Today, she is a seasoned journalist, who covers fashion, trends, style, designers, celebrities, entertaining, art, home design, dating/relationships/sex, beauty, fitness, travel, pop culture, and lifestyles of the rich and fabulous. She has been a Contributing Editor at both Marie Claire Magazine and Elle Magazine. In addition, she has written high profile pieces for Harper’s Bazaar, the New York Post, the New York Times, Glamour, and In Style. Her work has also been featured in Details, Gotham, Hamptons, New York Magazine, and TimeOut New York, amongst others.

Her first book, “How to become FAMOUS in two weeks or less” (Ballantine), a sassy hybrid of nonfiction personal essays and tongue-in-cheek, self-help how-to tips, was released in July, 2003. Walt Disney Productions acquired the rights to produce a feature film, and Reveille, a Universal-based production company, acquired the reality TV show rights, with Ms. Robinovitz as a co-producer. Her second book, “The Fashionista Files: Adventures in four-inch heels and faux pas” (Ballantine), which designers Michael Kors and Diane von Furstenberg, raved about, hit shelves in September 2004 and is in its seventh printing. And her third title, “Fete Accompli! The ultimate guide to creative entertaining” (Clarkson Potter, September 2004) is in its fifth printing.

A regular on VH-1’s cult-hit, “The Fabulous Life,” Ms. Robinovitz has become known for her television presence. She recently filmed a pilot for her own show on BRAVO, a reality version of “Sex & the City,” where Ms. Robinovitz is “the Carrie type.” Plus, she has been featured as an expert on E!, We, Style Network, CNN, VH-1, Good Day New York, Entertainment Tonight, ABC News, Fox News, the WB Morning Show, and morning shows across the country.

A media veteran and fashion world insider, Ms. Robinovitz consults for esteemed companies in search of new identities or attracting new audiences, from the .1% that makes up the high brow market to the masses, focusing on fashion, media, lifestyle, design, marketing, promotions, PR strategy, strategic partnerships, special events, branding and imaging, and out of the box initiatives that build buzz and brand awareness.

In addition, she has been a spokesperson for venerable companies such as AOL, Bath & Body Works, Pepperidge Farm, and more and hosted glittery, interactive events across the country for Marie Claire Magazine, DKNY, Armani Exchange, and Marshall Field’s.

It is impossible to pin Ms. Robinovitz down as “one thing,” as she has her finger on the pulse of pop culture in all aspects. With her keen knowledge of luxury brands and sense of chic, Ms. Robinovitz is something of a “lifestylist” for celebrities and royals alike, handling everything from personal styling and wardrobe consultations to personal shopping, special events, and curating libraries with the latest, newest, hottest books along with classic first editions and rare vintage finds.

Karen Robinovitz lives in New York City with her husband.

Jenna, YouthNoise Grand Prize Winner Tags: Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 4/3/2007 4:32 PM PT Last Modified: 4/16/2007 4:55 PM PT
Rate

  Jenna, Editor's Choice Winner in CitiJo campaign by YouthNoise

First off, how and when did you hear about Brickfish?
I heard about Brickfish about 5 months ago though this website called fastweb.com. Fastweb holds thousands of scholarships/contests/etc. that teenagers can do. Its great!

Was this your first Brickfish campaign?
Yes

Why did you decide to enter the YouthNoise CitiJo Campaign?
I had been interested in doing PSAs or movies for a long time, and when the opportunity to make a video in my anatomy class about smoking, I was excited to make one! While making this movie, I realized how passionate I was about having people quitting this habit which kills thousands a day. When I saw this campaign, I thought that this was the opportune moment to share my ideas and thoughts with others.


You obviously put a lot of time into your video. Do you have any tips or highlights to share about making videos?
Making videos like these are very much like any other media of art.  Like painting or photography or even blogging, you must be passionate about your source.  Learn the background, meet someone currently involved with your topic, get numbers. Some of the facts you will find will be shocking, but that is what will make your video great.

You won a pretty amazing opportunity to be a paid intern at YouthNoise as a CitiJo contributor. How’s it going?
It’s great!  Everyone is very supportive and have very wonderful ideas. I feel very privileged to be working with teenagers who will speak up against problems in the world, and work hard for change.

Do you have any ideas for Brickfish campaigns or for the site you would like to see in the future?
Maybe another rapping campaign so I can rap for the end of world hunger! :)

Tessa, People's Choice Winner in Summer Sizzle Tags: Fashion, Winner, Tessa, Summer Sizzle Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 3/30/2007 4:02 PM PT Last Modified: 4/6/2007 10:39 AM PT
Rate

       Tessa, Summer Sizzle People's Choice winner

How and when did you hear about Brickfish?
I think I was searching for fashion design-related contests on the internet and came across Summer Sizzle

What do you enjoy most about Brickfish?
The immense creativity that comes across in so many of the campaigns

Was this your first campaign and  why did you enter the Summer Sizzle Campaign?
Yes. Because I was excited that finally I could showcase my fashion sketches in a contest, and because I wanted to design a new summer outfit.

By entering the Summer Sizzle campaign you were able to communicate your feelings and thoughts about fashion. What do you think of this experience?
I think it’s really great, and in a way prepares me for when I’ll be doing the same kind of communication on a much grander level in the professional industry.
Where did you get your inspiration for your entry?  Where do you come up with your best ideas in general?
My winning entry was inspired by both urban and natural themes, with just a dash of my personal quirkiness mixed in. I usually am inspired by looking at ordinary objects or ideas in a different way (i.e. the piano belt) or just something crazy I come up with off the top of my head.

What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site?  About the campaigns? 
To always be supportive of others and give back to the community, and don’t be afraid to be bold and intelligent with your campaign entries! Don’t create something just because you think others might like it—make sure you’re also passionate about your work.

What are your favorite fashion labels? What are your thoughts on fashion today? 
My favorite designers would have to be Anna Sui, Valentino, and Etro. I love how the fashion industry is constantly developing ingenuities upon ingenuities, and that fashion is always more than just clothes—it’s an art form that continuously morphs and amazes me.

What goals would you like to achieve in the next year?
In the next year, I hope I will be able to attend one of my dream schools (either Parsons the New School for Design, where I actually have a scholarship to attend its pre-college program this summer! Or Rhode Island School of Design).


If you could dress like any celebrity, who would it be and why?
I wouldn’t like to completely emulate anyone else—I have a personal style I’m happy with.

What is your worst fashion moment?
Something to do with layering wrong items together

What was your biggest splurge?
A gorgeous jungle-print Tokidoki bag from LeSportSac

How do you justify impulse-shopping-regret?
I try to wear said impulse-items as much as I can to convince myself it was worth it  Usually I don’t regret too many of my purchases though.

What is your favorite outfit – that you own?
I can’t really decide on a definite favorite, but one of them is definitely: an ochre-yellow, rose-patterned top, sheer polka-dot scarf/necktie, dark wash skinny jeans, and black lace-up boots. Plus aforementioned piano belt—yes, I do own one!

Ambrosia, Switchfoot Grand Prize winner Tags: Ambrosia, Winners, Music, Switchfoot Campaign: none   2 Reviews Added: 4/3/2007 4:33 PM PT Last Modified: 4/6/2007 10:24 AM PT
Rate

    AmbrosiA, Grand Prize Winner in Switchfoot campaign

Tell us about how it feels to win on Brickfish and in particular winning this campaign ?
Its nice to know that others like your work. In a society which seems to discourage the arts, its nice to be encouraged once in a while.

Why did you enter the Switchfoot Campaign?
I have been listening to Switchfoot for years. They have inspiring messages about trying to always be a better person. With all the negativity in music lately, their music is refreshing. I have never created a banner before, so I thought I would try it.

By entering this campaign you were able to communicate your feelings and thoughts about the band through your creation, what do you think of this experience?
It was nice to do a tribute to a great band. I love their ‘Oh Gravity!’ music video, so I tried to make the banner resemble the video. I was able to get people interested in their music, which is pretty nifty.


Where did you get your inspiration for your entry?  Where do you come up with your best ideas in general?
Inspiration: The ‘Oh Gravity’ music video. If you haven’t seen it, you should! My best ideas just seem to ‘pop’ in my head at random times. Half of them I forget because I don’t write them down.

What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site?  About the campaigns?
It may take a while for people to notice your entries, but don’t give up. If you are active on the site, people will start noticing your campaigns more. Don’t be afraid to ask people to check out your work…but don’t be that guy that spams everybody on their friends list each day. Try to stick with constructive criticisms, remember that you are commenting on something that someone may have poured their heart and soul into. Invite all your friends to brickfish!


What do you enjoy most about Brickfish?
Most of the art I created before ended up in the back of my closet or in my computer’s recycle bin. This site allows it to actually be seen. The campaigns also provide material for inspiration. I also enjoy seeing work from other people.

What are your favorite music genre(s) and your favorite band(s)?
I like all kinds of music except country. My favorite is rock in all its shapes and forms. My favorite bands depend on the mood I am in that day. So today I am feeling: The Used, The Beatles, Panic at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Hot Hot Heat, My Chemical Romance, Anti-flag, The Matches, Motion City Soundtrack, Simon and Garfunkel, Billy Talent…Ask me tomorrow and get another list. :-P

What are your goals and aspirations for this year?
I will be graduating May 5th with a B.S in Mechanical Engineering at Wayne State University in Detroit. I hope I can find a job when I graduate and don’t have to move back in with the parents ;)

AmbrosiA has entered 36 concepts into Brickfish campaigns.


                           
Black Sabbath              Summer Sizzle       Rockstar Taste of Chaos            Party on Your Pocket    

                    

 

**The views and opinions of interviewees expressed here do not necessarily state or reflect those of Brickfish or its employees.

Interview with Andrew, Senses Fail winner Tags: Winners, Music, Senses Fail, Andrew Campaign: none   1 Reviews Added: 2/26/2007 4:58 PM PT Last Modified: 4/3/2007 10:15 AM PT
Rate

    Interview with Andrew, Senses Fail Grand Prize winner

How and when did you hear about Brickfish?
Over Myspace. Senses Fail sent out a bulletin about the contest, so I joined and entered, that was a few days after the contest started.

So this was your first campaign… do you plan to enter anymore?
Yep it was my first. I want to. I wanted to enter the sun diego contest, the taste of chaos contest, the incubus poster contest and the trivium one. But thanks to school and running Endever, I just haven't had free time to come up with an entry.

Whats Endever?
Endever is my clothing company and design business. (Endever Clothing and Endever Design respectively)

Tell me about how it feels to win on Brickfish.
I was pretty excited.  The prizes are cool, but it’s mostly knowing that the band is going to use my design that was exciting for me.  I mean, granted I have no idea what they're planning to do, but it gives you a lot of confidence and credibility knowing that a band that big would choose something you designed.  The anticipation for the results after the contest ended was killing me.

Winning Senses Fail concept

Where did you get your inspiration for your entry? 
Well, part of the reason I wanted to enter the senses fail contest is because the band and their music was a really big part of my life about year ago (not so much anymore, but it was the nostalgia that prompted me to enter the contest), so I know most of their lyrics by heart.  I took the idea from a combination of those lyrics and what they meant to me...I normally connect visual images with themes and emotions. In general that’s where my best ideas come from, music that means a lot to me, and my ways of interpreting life and expression visually.

What do you enjoy most about Brickfish? 
The contests for sure. I won't lie, as an online community or blog site, Brickfish is definitely overshadowed by facebook and myspace. It’s definitely a neat idea, but there's too many people who don't take it seriously and way too many people begging for votes and stuff, it gets impersonal a lot of times.  And, I mean, i'm sure you've noticed, but most feedback isn't constructive criticism or even honest, a lot of times its just people giving good reviews to get good votes and reviews in return.   (but i have noticed you've changed the scoring system, so that's a big plus) I have to admit though, I have met some cool people over Brickfish, but a lot of people just stop logging in because after the contest is over, they lose interest.

What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site? 
Don't waste people's time and inbox space by convincing people to vote for you, and I suppose a message or two about your entry is fine, but sending messages to everyone everday telling them to check out your entry and "vote if you like it" just gets annoying.  Give real feedback, not just "K00L, come check out mine!".  pretty much, just don't be obnoxious, and entering contests is a great way to practice/showcase your artwork.

How has Brickfish helped you?  What have you gained from hanging out here?
The contest has helped me expose my artwork more, given me an opportunity to design like I do on a daily basis, but give me a chance to win contests, have stuff seen by bands and things like that.  Joining brickfish gave me a chance to see other people's work, artists, film-makers etc. it's definitely a good way to spend your freetime when you have some.

Get Involved in Music Campaigns today!

What goals would you like to achieve in the next year?
Have Endever Clothing grow a lot, get more exposure, get some of our gear in stores and even on maybe Warped Tour and things like that.  Improve my design style, gain a bigger reputation and credibility amongst graphic designers (namely for bands).  Get one step closer to graduating highschool.

Is there anything you would like to see more of on the site?  Do you have any ideas for some cool campaigns?
Cool. I won't lie, i'd like to see an improved interface (easier navigation around our own profiles, more customization), and maybe a way to upload music we want to play on our profiles (but i'm sure there's copyright issues for that).    As far as contests go, you guys have done a great job of creating interesting contests, especially in the music section.  To be honest, I think if you keep up like this, things'll be pretty awesome.  Just a suggestion though, maybe adding a photography section, or more photography based contests would be nice.

By entering this contest Senses Fail gave you the opportunity to show them how you visually interpret their music. How do you feel about them doing this?
I think its a cool gesture on their part, relying on fans for something like this. I know I've always wanted to do artwork for my favorite bands, but it’s tough to get the opportunity (contacting the band, getting responses from them etc.)  But with this contest it was an awesome chance.  I mean, obviously, it’s not anywhere near as personal as contacting a band directly and working with them (since i've done that too). But with a band as big as Senses Fail, getting a chance like this is still a really big deal.

Andrew has entered 1 concept into Brickfish campaigns.

**The views and opinions of interviewees expressed here do not necessarily state or reflect those of Brickfish or its employees.

Music Campaign Results Tags: Music, Winner, Lost Prophets, Incubus, Miho Hatori, Trivium, Rockstar Taste of Chaos, Los Abandoned, Shaolin Temple of BooM, The Early Years Campaign: none   6 Reviews Added: 1/22/2007 1:32 PM PT Last Modified: 3/16/2007 10:04 AM PT
Rate

The Early Years Results
View Campaign | View Results
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: gabriele View Concept View Profil	REWARDS: Design featured on label and band's website, Autographed copy of The Early Years double CD, 5-CD Beggars Banquet CD pack and The Early Years poster
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		SECOND PLACE WINNER: Sharon View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Autographed copy of The Early Years double CD, 5-CD Beggars Banquet CD pack, The Early Years poster
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		THIRD PLACE WINNER: pepita View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Autographed copy of The Early Years double CD; 5-CD Beggars Banquet CD pack; The Early Years poster

Shaolin Temple of BooM Results
View Campaign | View Results
		GRAND PRIZE WINNER: sarah View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Design featured on Los Abandoned website. Autographed copy of Mixtape CD, 7” vinyl of Office Xmas Party, Los Abandoned T-shirt, and Los Abandoned Pins and Stickers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		RUNNER UP WINNER: kristin View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Autographed copy of Mixtape CD and Los Abandoned Pins and Stickers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		RUNNER UP WINNER: pepita View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Autographed copy of Mixtape CD and Los Abandoned Pins and Stickers.

Los Abandoned Results
View Campaign | View Results
	Hi everyone! This campaign to design the album cover for Mixtape was decided purely on score, so the results are already in! I am always interested to see where people come up with their ideas for their concepts, and I really like it when people include some information about it in the description. Be sure to notice some great examples here:    -sarah's description -pepita's description -JESUS ANTONIO's description -Elizabeth's description -Sam Grandt's description -Erik's description In the end, you all chose some really cool designs, and sarah's ended up on top. Her design will be featured on the Los Abandoned website in the future, so check in with her and tell her congrats!  Thanks to everyone for participating.
		GRAND PRIZE WINNER: sarah View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Design featured on Los Abandoned website. Autographed copy of Mixtape CD, 7” vinyl of Office Xmas Party, Los Abandoned T-shirt, and Los Abandoned Pins and Stickers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		RUNNER UP WINNER: kristin View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Autographed copy of Mixtape CD and Los Abandoned Pins and Stickers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		RUNNER UP WINNER: pepita View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Autographed copy of Mixtape CD and Los Abandoned Pins and Stickers.

Rockstar Taste of Chaos Results
View Campaign | View Results
	There was an amazing amount of creativity and uniqueness in this campaign to design the cell-phone wallpaper for the Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour. Apparently all of you enjoyed viewing and voting on all the different concepts as well. These are some impressive stats:    -109 total concepts -2,038 total reviews -2,685 total votes -10,551 total views Hats off to AmbrosiA for being the top reviewer, voter, AND viewer in this campaign! She also finished up in 3rd place, so send her a message and tell her how cool she is! The Grand Prize winner was picked by a crew from RTOC and they chose Bobby's clever wallpaper design.Drop Bobby a message and tell him how jealous you are of his rewards!
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: Bobby View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: 2 Rockstar Taste of Chaos all-access tickets with band meet-and-greet, design will be featured on the Rockstar Taste of Chaos website, and as a free download on Chaos Mobile, an Ernie Ball Guitar and Guitar Hero 2 video game.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		SECOND PLACE WINNER: rian View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: CDs from all 7 bands on tour and a $50 Guitar Center gift certificate
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		THIRD PLACE WINNER: AmbrosiA View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: A pair of Vans tennis shoes

Trivium Results
View Campaign | View Results
	Finally, the results for Trivium are in! This campaign resulted in 127 concepts. I saw a lot of similar concepts in this campaign, so today I want to praise the people who submitted hand-drawn designs: -John created an awesome hand-drawn Trivium with the sword as the T -Keely also created her cool concept and she did a great job on the Trivium logo -Michael drew an amazing skull design with a T shaped sword through the head -Sophie had an amazing hand-drawn poster that had the Trivium name as well as relevant images Thanks to all of you for being so patient in waiting for these results! After much deliberation, Trivium chose the poster designed by Dennis as the Grand Prize winner. If you haven't already, tell him how awesome his poster is!
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: Dennis View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Design will be showcased on Roadrunner Records web site, Roadrunner 3-CD pack, signed Trivium poster, Trivium T-shirt, Trivium pin and Trivium guitar pick
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		SECOND PLACE WINNER: Dave View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: A signed Trivium poster, Trivium T-shirt and Roadrunner 3-CD pack
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		THIRD PLACE WINNER: Amanda View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: A signed Trivium poster, Trivium T-shirt and Roadrunner 3-CD pack

Incubus Results
View Campaign | View Results
	Watching the changes in rankings in this campaign was so exciting! AmbrosiA was in the lead for a while until Eric overtook the top spot, and then Don Ta entered his amazing hand-drawn design during the last week of the campaign and finished with the top score overall. I'd like you all to also notice: -your 150 concepts earned 15,459 views -Janine for submitting her concept on the final day of the campaign -the really awesome hand-drawn colored pencil design by Jillian -Don Ta rallied an unprecedented amount of support with Myspace bulletins, emails and phone calls to friends. With so many new concepts everyday in this campaign, and the constant drama of the rankings, I really enjoyed the excitement around all the engagement here. I hope you did too. In the end, Incubus selected AmbrosiA's design so be sure to tell her how cool you think it is!
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: AmbrosiA View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Signed limited-edition Incubus lithograph and Incubus CD catalog
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		SECOND PLACE WINNER: Don Ta View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Incubus CD catalog
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		THIRD PLACE WINNER: Eric View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Incubus CD catalog

         

Miho Hatori Results
View Campaign | View Results
	Personally, I was not familiar with Miho Hatori until I heard about this campaign, but this exposure to her has made me a fan! It was so cool to see how all of you interpret and understand her music. I'd to call your attention to: -the hand drawn concept of the tree with Miho Hatori in the roots by sami -the detailed description for the design submitted by inspi[red] -the insight and use of the Miho's symbol of transformation in the concept from sarah I really am so glad that you all chose to participate in designing Miho Hatori's t-shirt because it helped me get a deeper understanding of who she is as an artist. Aspera was selected as the Grand Prize winner by Miho herself, so send her a shout out when you get a chance!
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: Aspera View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: T-shirt with winning design, autographed Miho Hatori poster,  and autographed CD.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		SECOND PLACE WINNER: John View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Rykodisc 10-CD Pack and autographed Miho Hatori poster
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		THIRD PLACE WINNER: Laura Lee View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Rykodisc 10-CD pack.

Lost Prophets Results
View Campaign | View Results
	I would personally like to thank all 9 of you that submitted your concepts in this campaign. I really enjoyed the variety of these videos. None of them were anything alike, but they all showed your own version and interpretation of a Lost Prophets video! On only 9 concepts, there were:    -572 Reviews and AmbrosiA was the Top Reviewer -746 Votes and B.B :) was the Top Voter -3,852 Views and Livin Irie was the Top Viewer Lost Prophets chose the Grand Prize winning video by A.M. which was submitted only a week before the campaign ended. Way to go A.M. for your creative and enjoyable video!
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: A.M. View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Vestal Watch, Sony Walkman Core™ MP3 Player, autographed tour poster and CD, and two Warped Tour tickets.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		SECOND PLACE WINNER: Laura Lee View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Autographed tour poster, Lost Prophets CD, Vestal T-shirt, and wristband
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		THIRD PLACE WINNER: poe View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Autographed tour poster, Lost Prophets CD, Vestal T-shirt, and wristband
Music Archives

Interview with Megan, What's Hot or Not winner Tags: Winners, Fashion, What's Hot or Not, Megan Campaign: none   1 Reviews Added: 2/26/2007 4:54 PM PT Last Modified: 3/7/2007 3:05 PM PT
Rate

  Interview with Megan, What's Hot or Not Grand Prize Winner

First off, how and when did you hear about Brickfish?
I don’t exactly remember. I think that I must have heard about Brickfish through someone on Myspace or Livejournal.

What do you enjoy most about Brickfish?
I think that Brickfish is really similar to Myspace, but it stands out because of the contests. I like the fact that it’s more interactive that way.

Tell me about how it feels to win on Brickfish.
Pretty good. I’ve never won anything significant before. This particular win is great for me because I just had a baby and I don’t have any clothes that fit me at the moment.

Was this your first campaign?
Yes.

Click to view the winning What's Hot or Not blog

Why did you choose to enter the What's Hot or Not Campaign?
I love fashion, and I love stating my opinion on fashion... and I could desperately use some new clothes.

By entering this campaign you were able to communicate your feelings and thoughts about fashion. What do you think of this experience?
I think it’s great. Like I said before, it’s the contests that make Brickfish stand out compared to other blog sites. It was cool to hear others feedback on my opinion.

Where did you get your inspiration for your entry?  Where do you come up with your best ideas in general?
I started out with the obvious companies that I liked or disliked and from there, I researched a bit through magazines and on the internet. It took me nearly an entire night to go through all of the stuff and decide how I wanted to set it up.

Get Involved in Fashion campaigns today!

What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site?  About the campaigns?
I don’t have much advice about the site or the campaigns. I had just joined when I entered the contest, so I’m pretty new to all of it.

What are your favorite fashion labels? What are your thoughts on fashion today?
My favorites were pretty much listed in the blog for the contest…as well as my thoughts, I guess.

What goals would you like to achieve in the next year?
Take more classes and head toward getting my masters in fine arts, finish chemo, move out to Chicago, and go to more social/group events.

Megan has entered 1 concept into Brickfish campaigns.

**The views and opinions of interviewees expressed here do not necessarily state or reflect those of Brickfish or its employees.

Interview with Roger Gastman, Founder of SWINDLE Tags: Mentors, Lifestyles, Roger Gastman Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 2/26/2007 4:57 PM PT Last Modified: 3/7/2007 3:04 PM PT
Rate

     Interview with Roger Gastman, founder of SWINDLE 

How did you first become interested in the Arts?
I took art classes from when I was as young as I can remember. Nothing special, just a kid doing art. I wasn’t bad at it, but I sure as hell wasn’t great. When I discovered graffiti in 8th grade “real art” was out was kicked out the door fast. I was sucked in. Through the years many of the people I came in touch with and met in graffiti have become gallery artists in their own right. As I accidentally turned to writing and publishing I became more and more interested in finding and helping push the “new” out to the world.

How and why did you get involved with the street and graffiti art movement?
I was just a kid growing up in Bethesda Maryland (Suburb of Washington, D.C.) in the early 90s. I was into the hardcore scene and at the time everyone had his or her tag. Everyone had a marker. It was just the thing to do. Write your name on shit! As kids do, they became bored, changed hobbies, got busted by the cops, in trouble at school, or in trouble with their parents and stopped. For me, I was hooked. It was like a sport. I kept at it, learning and improving. Eventually getting paying jobs from it. That’s the last thing I ever expected. I have graffiti to thank for where I am today.

Show us what you can create.

How did you become a respected mediator between the underground arts scene and mainstream culture?
Honestly I have no idea. It just sort of happened. I can play both sides of the game very well.  A double agent you might say. Through understanding the need of major corporations and just simple work ethic I was able to help foster many artist careers and bring them into a world they might not have been able to get in. Or at least get them a few paying jobs here and there. Because I was an artist that was on the rooftops in the middle of the night, on the train tracks, in the subway yards, I had the respect of the people I was working with and they knew that I had their best interest in mind.

Where did you get the idea to create the magazines While You Were Sleeping and SWINDLE?
I had a lot of friends that were publishing zines and smaller full color graffiti magazines.  I had a lot of friends that were graphic designers. And I was traveling around the country painting graffiti taking tons of pictures. My friends that had zines and magazines were always asking me to hook them up with pictures and designers. I figured that I could try and do it myself. I published my first issue in 1997 as a 24 page full color glorified zine. I was 19 years old. From there I added and added. WYWS turned into an interesting subculture magazine boasting a distribution of over 30,000 and large national advertisers before I left it in 2001. I started SWINDLE in 2004 with Shepard Fairey with a goal of influencing culture, and to do something totally different than WYWS and what else was out there.

How actively involved are you in the publication of these magazines? Where do you continue to find inspiration and ideas for such cutting-edge story ideas?
I have done it all, from interviewing people, writing reviews, story boarding, concepting, organizing fashion shoots, pr, marketing, ad sales, packing subscriptions, scanning, design…. You name it. Where do I get ideas? I don’t get out as much as I used to or as much as I would like to so it’s hard to stay fresh, but I just go with my gut and what is interesting to me. Luckily that has worked so far.

Turn your life into a story.

What is the biggest challenge working with Swindle as an influential pop culture magazine?
Advertising is always the biggest challenge. While we are grateful to have been supported by some very large national brands early on in our magazine career, it is advertising that drives magazines and ultimately pays the print bill. Continuing on keeping the content fresh and appealing is the easy part. Selling the advertising is the hard part. I am glad I don’t do that. Luckily I found someone really good at it.

What's the most interesting or rewarding aspect of your job?
Knowing that you exposed people to new ideas and concepts and then seeing them prosper is powerful. Also just holding a new book or magazine is a good feeling. It is something you made, not a webpage.

What recommendations do you have for someone who wants to start a career in art and pop culture?
Make sure you have a day job, or trust fund.

Get Involved in Lifestyles campaigns now!

Who do you admire?
My dogs. They just get to sleep, eat, play ball, and have fun. Not a care in the world. They got it figured out.

You have quite a variety of accomplishments, from producing multiple internationally distributed art books to speaking on the history of graffiti to publishing two well-respected magazines. Do you have a favorite area of work?
I have not found my favorite area. I had the most fun painting freight trains when I was younger. At the time that seemed like work. In the end I published a huge book on the history of freight train graffiti so I guess it was research. I also had a lot of fun working on the film INFAMY. It was a new experience and I learned so much. I hope to continue working in the arena.

What do your fans of your books and magazines’ personally mean to you?
It means that there is a group of hungry people out there interested in what I am into. And that they support my ventures. I thank them for coming back again and again. It is only going to get better.  

**The views and opinions of interviewees expressed here do not necessarily state or reflect those of Brickfish or its employees.

Fashion Campaign Results Tags: Winners, Fashion, Reebok, Hot or Not, Brickfish, Summer sizzle, Pocket Campaign: none   3 Reviews Added: 1/17/2007 3:49 PM PT Last Modified: 3/5/2007 9:28 PM PT
Rate

   

Party on Your Pocket Results
View Campaign | View Results
	I was so amazing to see so many new creators entering this campaign. Each of you figured out that you could express yourselves by putting whatever you wanted on the back of your jean pocket. Thanks to these people who went above and beyond and entered multiple concepts: SaucepanWitch Nita Catalina Jayda tasha Allison GombeTo Linda Courtney Mary Page Emma Raheel Brittany Brooke Chelsea Mandi Chad  Wendy Wen Heather Julia Reina ben Both of our winners, AmbrosiA and Dee Jae also entered more than one concept, and these are the ones that you chose as your favorites. Be sure to tell them congrats when you get a chance! Thanks everyone for participating.
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: AmbrosiA View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $250 to buy as many pairs of jeans as she wants.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		RUNNER UP WINNER: Dee Jae View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $100 for his favorite pair of jeans.

 

Summer Sizzle Results
View Campaign | View Results
	Every day when I checked the new concepts in this campaign, I was amazed with the amazing talent that I saw in your summer fashion designs. It was so interesting to me to see all of your individual tastes for summer fashion. I loved ALL of the concepts, but I really enjoyed the new and trendy bathing suits by: Tiri BEKKtacular Andrya Andrya (again) Mandi Mandi (again) gabriele Jessica Brandi Heather Dianne Lauren This was an amazingly competitive campaign, and its obviously because you are all so talented in your own designs and styles. GIve a shout out to ALL of our amazing summer trendsetters! Way to go everyone!
		PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNER: Tessa View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $250 and winning design seen and professional feedback given by Los Angeles designer Gabriela Tuma
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		DESIGNER'S CHOICE WINNER: Erin View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $250 and winning design seen and professional feedback given by Los Angeles designer Gabriela Tuma

Sun Diego Boardshops Results
View Campaign | View Results
	I must say I really enjoyed checking out the new t-shirt designs here everyday. There was such a variety of design s for and ideas about Sun Diego. I want to just highlight a few of my favorites in case you missed them:    -the Brown Sun Diego Shirt by Diane -the Green Skull Design by John -the Surf, Sun, And Beautiful People by Sean -the eh? by charmizzle After all the designs were submitted and voted on, Sun Diego chose Kit's unique design out of the top 25! Send her a message and tell her what you think about her "Fresh" ideas! :)
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: Kit View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: 10 t-shirts with winning design, $100 Sun Diego gift certificate, $250 cash, AND the winning t-shirt will be worn by Sun Diego store employees for a week!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		SECOND PLACE WINNER: Roxanne View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $50 Sun Diego gift certificate
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		THIRD PLACE WINNER: A.J. View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $50 Sun Diego gift certificate

What's Hot or Not Results
View Campaign | View Results
	Thanks to everyone who participated in the What's Hot or Not blog campaign. I enjoyed reading all of your entries and seeing the different opinions people have about the same companies, as well as the similar complaints about certain brands. Some things I would like to call to your attention: -Old Navy is Hot according to Drew but Tally [b.t.g] thinks the commercials are Not -According to Hillary, Kayla, BEKKtacular, and moon dawg, Abercrombie does Not have what they want to see -John gets it right: "Golden rule of fashion: Wear what reflects you independently, not what reflects someone else" -Ryan put an amazing amount of time and effort into his blogs: "Unmentioned..." and "Topics which are.." -High Fives to AmbrosiA for being the top Reviewer, Voter, AND Viewer. Megan's entry was chosen by a Brickfish panel from all of the blogs submitted, so congratulate her on her accomplishment when you get a chance. Thanks again to everyone who viewed and reviewed and voted!
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: Megan View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $500 gift certificate to her favorite store

Reebok Freestyle Forever Results
View Campaign | View Results
	Hi everyone! Thanks to all of for you amazing participation in the Reebok campaign. There was an amazing amount of activity around here and you all should be proud of your interactions. I'd like to give a few shout outs to: -B.B. :) for voting on the most concepts -j for being the overall top viewer on concepts -Rayna for earning 1,598 views and 476 reviews -creamvespa for submitting 5 concepts in the final days. All of your actions contributed to the 80 concepts with 2,696 reviews and 3,489 votes!  All who were involved in some way should feel accomplished for participating in showing Reebok what you want to see. Way to go!
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: Tasha View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $1500 for SportieLA swag and a Reebok gift certificate to get your own Freestyle Hi kicks
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		SECOND PLACE WINNER: Rayna View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Reebok Freestyle Hi kicks
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		THIRD PLACE WINNER: Tara View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Reebok Freestyle Hi kicks
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		FOURTH PLACE WINNER: massacre View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Reebok Freestyle Hi kicks
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		FIFTH PLACE WINNER: Roxanne View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: Reebok Freestyle Hi kicks
Fashion Archives

Lifestyles Campaign Results Tags: Lifestyles, Winner, Crazy for Brickfish, Wrap it up, CitiJo Campaign: none   6 Reviews Added: 1/19/2007 3:11 PM PT Last Modified: 2/19/2007 5:09 PM PT
Rate

   

Become a CitiJo Results
View Campaign | View Results
	I cannot begin to tell you all how much I enjoyed viewing all your passionate concepts. It is obvious that each of you feels strongly about these issues that effect your life in one way or another. There was a great amount of discussion around these concepts as you debated back and forth about the various issues. Since I cannot give individual shoutouts to all 247 of you who entered, I want to highlight those who took the time and effort to enter video concepts. If you haven't yet, be sure to watch:   -Token Capone's video titled Stop the Violence -Salah's video urging youth to help prevent Genocide -Liane's video about the spread and destruction of HIV -Stephanie's video titled Waiting on the World to Change. All of you who viewed, reviewed and voted in this campaign contributed to choosing massacre's blog as the People's Choice Winner. YouthNoise then chose Jenna's video as the Editor's Choice Winner. Wish these two luck as they start working as virtual interns for YouthNoise. Thanks everyone for participating!
		EDITOR'S CHOICE WINNER: Jenna View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: 2-month paid internship with YouthNoise
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNER: massacre View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: 2-month paid internship with YouthNoise

Wrap it up! Results
View Campaign | View Results
	This was one of my favorite campaigns to view every day! It was so cool to see how each of the people who submitted had their own visual interpretion of Brickfish, and even more interesting to see which entries were favorites among all our users.   -Laura Lee for resubmitting her design to make sure it was relevant to Brickfish -Graham for his awesome concept created in easy-to-use Microsoft Paint -IVY I for submitting the most concepts and letting you choose which one you liked best -Vincent for his awesome hand-drawn design which landed him the top-score There were some really amazing entries, and the Brickfish panel chose Jadelyn as their favorite. Leave her a message telling her Congrats when you get a chance.
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: <3.JADELYN View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $500 cash

Crazy for Brickfish Results
View Campaign | View Results
	I want to personally thank all 6 of you who participated in this campaign. It made my day to watch these and see how much each of you love Brickfish in your own individual ways. I'd to recognize: -Jason for including the words to the creative poem in his video -Ariel for being the first to enter and allowing me to post this video on my page -Tasha for loving Brickfish so much that she would dye her puppy -Jacquie for being the top viewer of these videos On only 6 concepts in this campaign, you all generated 935 reviews, 1,133 votes and 6,758 views! That is an amazing amount of interaction with such a small number of entries. If you are considering doing a video campaign in the future, then ask these guys if they have any advice since ALL of these entries are awesome in their own ways.
		FIRST PLACE WINNER: Scott View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $500 scholarship, three cases of shaving cream and an inflatable dog.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		SECOND PLACE WINNER: Jesse View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $200 scholarship and a rubber chicken
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		THIRD PLACE WINNER: Ariel View Concept View Profile	REWARDS: $200 scholarship and a rubber chicken
Lifestyles Archives

Past Fashion Campaign Winners Tags: Fashion, Winners, Melissa, Megan, Meghan, Tasha, Morgan, MissM. Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 2/1/2007 9:35 AM PT Last Modified: 2/7/2007 7:53 AM PT
Rate

Past Fashion Campaign Winners

Do you want to know what it takes to take your Fashion concept to the top and how it feels to get unique rewards? Ask any of these Grand Prize winners what tips they are willing to share with you!

                   
Tasha                          Miss M.
        Reebok- Freestyle Forever     TopButton - Fashion Goddess Wanted
Shoe Design Campaign           Photo Album Campaign


                                     
Melissa                                     Megan                                    Meghan
            Charlotte Russe - Fashion S.O.S      What's Hot or Not      Reebok - Walk a mile in my shoes        Photo Campaign                      Blog Campaign                     Photo Campaign


              
mmmorgan                        Kit     
     Reebok - Walk a mile in my shoes              Sun Diego                      
Photo Album Campaign           T-shirt Design Campaign

Get Involved in Fashion campaigns today!

About Scott, GP Winner in Crazy for Brickfish Tags: Winner, Lifestyles, Scott, CrazyforBrickfish Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 1/31/2007 11:26 AM PT Last Modified: 2/7/2007 7:53 AM PT
Rate

 Interview with Scott, Grand Prize winner in Crazy for Brickfish campaign

First off, how and when did you hear about Brickfish? 
My friend was entered in that Job Contest and he told me about this awesome site.

What do you enjoy most about Brickfish?
The people, the music, the contests and the cool prizes.

Tell me about how it feels to win on Brickfish.
It feels great.

Was this your first campaign?
No, since my friend showed me the job contest, I entered into the job contest also and since I felt so crazy I entered in the Fall Fashion SOS for no reason. I just felt like it would be fun to enter another contest. Ha ha its fun to enter into campaigns even if you know from the beginning you won’t win.

Click to view Crazy for Brickfish video

Which one has been your favorite to participate in by entering or voting and reviewing?
Uhh… well the crazy for brickfish campaign because the competition became intense.

Why did you decide to enter the Crazy for Brickfish Campaign?
It looked fun and most of my videos are random and hilarious so I decided to enter. My first idea was to go around asking duplicates of myself to say how crazy they were about brickfish but I wanted to make a comedy about brickfishing so that’s what I did.

By entering this campaign you were able to communicate your thoughts and interpretations in a Brickfish-centric design. What do you think of this experience?
It was a very great experience and I enjoyed it!

Where did you get your inspiration for your entry? Where do you come up with your best ideas in general?
I dunno, something just popped into my head when I was watching TV and when I was making the video, a lot of ideas kept popping up in my head. When I went into my garage I saw a fishing pole and thought about fishing and I was reading my Naruto manga and thought of a ninja fishing. Then I went onto the internet and logged into Brickfish and thought of fishing for a brickfish so that’s when I decided to make a random short about Brickfishing. It was fun making the video.

Get Involved in Lifestyles campaigns now!

What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site? About the campaigns?
If you come up with an idea for a campaign, you should enter it in and maybe you might have a chance of winning. That is what I did and I won. Yay!!!

Why do you think Brickfish has the ability to change the way brands talk to consumers?
Uhhhhh…. Ha ha big words for my smallish brain… well I think the brands have ideas but Brickfish has people who have brilliant ideas for the company and want to put it out there for others to view. I have seen a lot of excellent designs for t-shirts and posters and I would love to view them.

What goals would you like to achieve in the next year?
Graduate high school this year, produce more super special awesome videos of randomness, enter in more campaigns and find new goals to achieve.

Scott has submitted 12 concepts into Brickfish campaigns:
CitiJo concept
Where I Want to Work concept
 
                      

      Miho Hatori concept                            Switchfoot concept                  Brickfish Business Card concept

           

     November My Job ______! concept                       Wrap it Up! concept

**The views and opinions of interviewees expressed here do not necessarily state or reflect those of Brickfish or its employees.     

Interview with A.M., GP Winner of Lost Prophets Tags: Music, Winner, LostProphets, A.M. Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 1/31/2007 11:15 AM PT Last Modified: 2/7/2007 7:53 AM PT
Rate

 Interview with A.M., Grand Prize winner in Lost Prophets campaign

First off, how and when did you hear about Brickfish? 
I learned about Brickfish from the Lostprophets Music Drive Thru video contest, which I read about on a livejournal community.

What do you enjoy most about Brickfish?
It’s all our internet preoccupations combined in one website! Blogging, networking, sharing art, music, etc. The great thing about it is how it encourages creativity (with its contests and some others) and the use of new media such as digital video-making.

Tell me about how it feels to win on Brickfish.
I was actually surprised we won! Me and my friends, who helped with the music video, were ecstatic. And that’s just with the thought that people appreciated what we made and actually thought it’s good enough to garner a prize. Plus there’s no doubt about how it boosts one’s self-confidence.

Was this your first campaign?
Yes.

Why did you enter the Lost Prophets Campaign?
They’re an awesome, awesome band. It was Christmas break here so I asked my friends if they wanted to make a video just for the fun of it – plus there’s a chance that the lads from Lostprophets are going to watch it! So it was genuine love for the music and video making I guess yeah.

By entering this campaign you were able to communicate your feelings and thoughts about the band through your creation, what do you think of this experience?
I think it was a great opportunity to connect not only with band members but with other people who enjoy their music as well. And it’s priceless to know that you’ve made even just a few people smile or laugh with what you made.

Where did you get your inspiration for your entry?  Where do you come up with your best ideas in general?
From the song itself of course, Pingu, and fragmented music video daydream scenarios inside our heads (since I share this videos with my friends). Where do I come up with ideas? Oh it’s hard to tell where and when exactly but I usually get ideas brewing during the long commute home from university.


What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site?  About the campaigns?
Don’t be afraid to join campaigns and upload your works, even if not for specific campaigns. Explore and make friends!

What are your favorite music genre(s) and your favorite band(s)?
Anything that strikes me but my favourites would have to be Britpop, alt, and electro. Favourite artists would have to be lostprophets, Oasis, Interpol, Weezer, The Charlatans, Smoke City, Emiliana Torrini, The Rakes, Spoon……. I have too many “favourites”! Haha

What goals would you like to achieve in the next year?
I want to be able to finally finish compiling and editing this sort of personal travel-documentary we shot while backpacking through Southeast Asia last year. And make another short digital movie!

About Rob Reger, Creator of "Emily the Strange" Tags: Mentor, Lifestyles, RobReger Campaign: none   14 Reviews Added: 1/31/2007 9:33 AM PT Last Modified: 2/7/2007 7:53 AM PT
Rate

Interview with Rob Reger, Creator of "Emily the Strange"

How and when was the character “Emily the Strange” born?
Emily was initially a design for Santa Cruz skateboards, and Cosmic Debris began breathing life into the character in 1992 by creating images for tee shirts and stickers. One tee shirt quickly evolved into dozens more, and her personality started to develop out of these tee shirt phrases and images. Once we invented the recipe for Strange Brew the whole took a life of its own… start to trip out here…yeah, kinda like that.

How and when did you launch an entire company out of one character?
Emily was initially released under the clothing label Cosmic Girls, then after she started to get a small underground following we decided to give Emily her own label.  The company has always been Cosmic Debris, and we’ve always been a bunch of nerds…

Emily the Strange is a fashion line, a comic book, and what else? 
Emily is also the mastermind behind her website Emilystrange.com, she is an artist, troublemaker, hypnotist, feline lover, fine art, graphic novels, stationery, and a revolutionary. Did I mention she’s a 13 year old girl that likes the darker side of life and won’t take shit from no-one? Nope. Not even you!

Do you run all of these businesses?
It’s not all business, but yes, I have my hands in/on everything. Most stuff starts with ideas and then I work with the appropriate parties to execute the end product in whatever that might mean doing- form the art itself, to general feedback…I am always involved at the beginning and end of a project, but I like to give the artists/designers/inventors/visionaries I work with a certain amount of freedom within parameters to allow their best creativity to shine and come through wherever I can.


When will the next “Emily the Strange” comic book come out and any other exciting news we can look forward to?
Then next issue comes out in April and it is about everything ROCK. From rock soup, to rockin out…Emily gets stuck in traffic school with Karen O form the Yeah Yeah Yeahs also (very surreal!). This is a must see comic for all fans of Emily and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs…

When did you become interested in Art?
Ever since I can remember. Wait- even before I can remember…I have a short memory sometimes…
What would your recommendations be to someone wanting to start a career in art and more specifically animation?
Just get out there and fuckin’ make it happen! The WORLD you want to create with your art and for yourself is waiting for you to get it on…

What does your job entail?
Traveling, drinking beer, smoking pot, sleeping with strange girls that want to hear my dumb ideas…ha ha ha. Then, when I finally wake up, I usually have some great IDEAS about what to do next....Mainly I am a director, producer, artist, creator, and all these things require a great deal of communication with other artists and individuals to get stuff done. So there are lots of emails and conference calls, meetings etc. to set course and direct and comment on where we are all going. At all times I am working on 20-30 new pieces of art for our seasonal apparel and accessory lines, working with the licensees of those lines, creating content for the new comic book and or Chronicle book, developing new projects like a fiction book, the movie (with 20th Century Fox), and most recently a video game… Plus I got pet the cat and feed the plants, (and oh yeah…take care of myself!) Does this sound fun? Well it is!


What's the most interesting or rewarding aspect of your job?
Finishing a project- seeing an idea all the way through. Getting to travel and meet really cool interesting people from all over the world. Supporting myself from something that I REALLY like doing and believe wholeheartedly in. Spreading the message of BEING YOURSLEF and DOING IT YOURSELF- cause we really can (and it’s the best way to be). Meeting the fans…

Who do you admire?
My parents who supported me and encouraged me to do what I felt passionate about doing… I admire anyone and everyone with the guts to dedicate themselves to their craft/art/ideas and get that stuff out there for others to see- from the greatest directors to the guy at open mic… they all affect me in the same moving/inspiring way if they are honest and doing it from the heart. Or if they make me laugh! Not so much if they make me vomit. I hate vomiting…

What do the fans of Emily the Strange mean to you personally and to the direction of Emily the Strange?
Without the fans, it would be difficult to keep creating at such ferocity the ideas we work on. We all owe the vast Emily Strange Posse credit for keeping the world alive and growing. As long as you want more, I am willing to help create it. I personally love the events where I get to meet and hear how and what Emily means to them. In the very beginning it was essential that those who bought Emily stuff responded in such a big way- that is what kept me creating more content. SO…thank you. You know who you are…


**The views and opinions of interviewees expressed here do not necessarily state or reflect those of Brickfish or its employees.

Interview with Gabriela Tuma, Fashion Designer Tags: Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 1/29/2007 11:15 AM PT Last Modified: 2/7/2007 7:53 AM PT
Rate

   Interview with Gabriela Tuma, Fashion Designer for Jantzen

How did you become interested in fashion and designing?
I was born in the Czech Republic, so when I was growing up, it was natural for women to make their own clothes, especially if you wanted something special.  My mom used to make all her ball gowns, sounds a little crazy, but there still were balls then.  As a little girl I would make clothes for my dolls, play with paper dolls, and drive my grandma crazy with costumes I wanted her to make for me. When we came to America, I didn’t realize that you could have a career in fashion.  I definitely went through a period when I was a fashion don't.  In high school I started to experiment with different looks, hitting up goodwill and thrift shops, putting together modern with vintage, making alterations....but even at that time I was not planning to go into fashion, that was just a time to express ourselves.  When it was time to decide on our careers, I was thinking of going into architecture, but one of the career counselors suggested that I might try a fashion school.  It appealed to me because fashion is ever changing, and the permanence of architecture was a little intimidating.  There are still days when I think how cool it is that I get to have a career doing something that I grew up playing at.

How did you become the head designer of Jantzen and what do you design for them?
I have been designing for 12 years, starting out in dresses and sportswear, moved on to Streetwear, for a couple years I did my own label of young designer wear, which was the hardest thing I ever did and the best experience I could ever have...I then got hired on to a big Swimwear company where I designed their active sportswear and then their fashion swimwear.  I never planned a career in swimwear, but it really was a great fit for me, and  I think that having worked in so many different areas has given me a real edge in my swimwear design and philosophy.....So, when Jantzen decided to give the Swimwear brand a face lift, I was brought on to design the line. This past year was a huge challenge, as we set out to re-establish Jantzen as a fashion leader in the better department stores and specialty boutiques.  Jantzen has nearly 90 years of heritage, being one of the oldest swimwear brands in the US, so it was really great to go back into our archives and resurrect the rich history and the glamour that Jantzen has been know for throughout the past. What I really found inspiring was the cutting edge design and styling, as well as the glamour factor, which is now at the root of my current design strategy. 

Submit your concepts in Summer Sizzle for Gabriela to review!

What does your job entail?
In my experience as a designer, you sort of have to be a jack of all trades.  Designing is really just a part of what I do.  At the start of each season, we really evaluate the past season, seeing what worked so we can anniversary that, and leering from what might not have performed so well.  I plan the overall flow of the season, by themes and color, so that each delivery transitions into the next.  The challenge in swimwear is how to keep updating it, so I always look to developing new fabrics, or new treatments, come up with new trims and hardware to keep evolving it.  Swimwear is very print driven, so we have to develop artwork as all our prints are original. Then I start with the actual style design, making sure that the line is well merchandised.  I work closely with the pattern makers to communicate how I envision the styling and construction, go through rounds of fittings, review costs to make sure that I am meeting my margin goals (and sometime having to simplify the design if it is not cost efficient)....We start previewing the line early on, so there is a lot of presentations, and traveling, and at the same time continuing with the line development.  We meet with key accounts to get their feedback, and perhaps fill any holes that our product assortment might be missing....Before the launch for the season, things go into hyper speed, there are photo shoots, and catalogs to proof, and models to approve and a million other little things that spring up.....and then you see your line in its entirety and for a second you stop and breath....until you have to start it all over again!

What will be the must have for summer 07'?
Dresses, dresses, and more dresses.....green, especially the citrus shades....Sexy once piece suits

How do you predict upcoming fashion trends?
Fashion is cyclical, after a while you see it come full circle.  It also has an evolution, so colors will evolve- green to teal to navy. Fashion can also be extreme, one season it is the Maxi length, the next it is the mini. Fashion is also hugely influenced by Hollywood and by music, where celebrities and musicians have become our fashion Icons.  Trends in fashion can have a trickle down effect where we look towards the couture runways of Paris for inspiration, or a real trickle up effect, where we look towards the kids on the street to see how they are personalizing their clothes.....  Although I try to be trend right, I also think it is important to be true to your brand. 

What is the most exciting part of your job?
Last week I was in NY and saw the Jantzen Billboard with my suit!  That was really cool.  There are the obvious things that are really exciting, working with supermodels, traveling to exotic locations (and sometimes the not so exotic locations, think Bentonville), seeing your designs in magazines, or walking down a runway….but sometimes the things that get me excited are smaller things, like seeing a sketch come to life, or finding that perfect sundry….or seeing a perfect stranger wearing one of my garments!

Get Involved in Fashion campaigns today!

Who are your favorite designers?
There are several designers that I admire for different reasons.  I love Donna Karan because she has always stayed true to who she designs for, a real woman.  She is always aware of the female form, her clothes seem to accentuate the woman wearing them, rather than over take her.  I loved Rochas last season, the amazing interpretation of vintage tailoring done in a thoroughly modern way.  Prada is a true trend setter, sometimes I feel like she designs purely for herself, and the world seems to follow.  I think Tom Ford for Gucci, took an Iconic Brand, and gave it a thoroughly modern face lift.  Something I am aspiring to do!

What would your recommendations be to someone wanting to start a career as a fashion designer?
I feel that School is important, it teaches you the bases, and gives you the roots.  But I also feel that experience is irreplaceable. You have to be willing to get your hands dirty.  Interning is a great way to get a broad range of experience.  There is no job too small or too big, because as a designer you are part of a team, and if you are able to understand all parts of the process, this will make you better at what you do.  Knowing cutting, patternmaking, grading, markers, sewing, this all makes you a better designer.  Also, knowing the business side of it makes you better able to design the right product.  Being a designer is not always a glamorous job, sometimes you find yourself crawling on the floor pinning up hems, or hauling roles of fabric, it can be long hours and high pressure....but the rewards of seeing something you designed hanging in a store, or in a magazine is priceless. 

What do the fans of Jantzen mean to you personally and to the direction of your clothing line?
I think it is so great to hear back from the consumers.  Jantzen is really such an iconic brand, and there are so many people that grew up wearing it, or have photos of their grandmother in a Jantzen suit....It has such a rich heritage so for me it is really important to embrace that, while at the same time evolve it.  I have seen that people really have a personal attachment to the Jantzen brand and its history, when I design the line, I want to make sure that I keep that integrity, and that in 20 years the 2007 line will be part of the rich heritage that we are growing.  

**The views and opinions of interviewees expressed here do not necessarily state or reflect those of Brickfish or its employees.

More About Ginger Thomson, CEO of YouthNoise Tags: Ginger, Lifestyles, Interview, YouthNoise, CitiJo, Mentor Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 12/20/2006 11:25 AM PT Last Modified: 2/7/2007 7:51 AM PT
Rate

Interview with Ginger Thomson, CEO of YouthNoise

How did you become interested and involved in non-profit work?
I became interested as a teen when I lived with my grandmother. Her senility was often difficult for me so I decided I should do some community work with aging people to better understand her condition and my own reactions to it. I ended up producing a documentary video on housing conditions for the elderly within my Yorkville neighborhood in Manhattan. These were so outrageous that I felt inspired to work on behalf of the elderly for several years. Later, when an older friend died in Boston – having been unattended by her family members for several days as I was the only person who visited her regularly – I felt despondent and decided to work with younger people for a change. I worked with pregnant and parenting teens in Boston as a peer counselor and began a life-long dedication to supporting at risk youth as a volunteer.

How and why did you get involved with YouthNoise?
For many reasons but primarily through a profound belief that youth are the only ones who can really change the world, move mountains and believe that it is all doable! But more practically, I started a web-based financial service for teens. The functionality included the ability for teens to make charitable contributions. Most of the contributions made went to Save The Children with whom we fostered a wonderful partnership. Save The Children decided to launch a kids for kids effort on the web and asked that I be an advisor. The project became YouthNoise. I was an Advisory Board member from inception. In 2004 they asked me to head up the organization. 

What does your job entail?
Just about everything you can imagine – from fund raising to partnership development to managing and producing the web site, to building our technology platform. I work with others on each piece, but I am involved in the decision making around all of it. My favorite work of course is the work I do with youth!


What is the biggest challenge working for a Non-Profit organization?
Making limited dollars go the distance. We need to make our investment produce active return just like a for-profit organization. And that is difficult when we are often at the mercy of charitable donors whose interests can change very quickly. We are essentially providing infrastructure to allow young people to do great work. That is hard to translate in to charitable giving, believe it or not! We are now creating revenue streams that allow us to fund our operations without that reliance on charitable donations.

What current issues reasonate with Gen Y and why?
In the US and elsewhere AIDS and its continued proliferation in huge. It is close to home and global. How you behave daily and how the world develops over time is impacted by the AIDS virus. Another enormous issue for young people in the US  - and overseas – is access to a quality education. Young people understand the importance of education. How to secure an education is a great concern because college funding opportunities are limited at this moment. As well, in the US young people have not been invited to speak up for and demand a quality education. But it matters to them. Another topic we see a good deal of interest in is teen depression – another close-to-home issue. Every kid in high school in America has some first hand experience of teen suicide. They don’t know how to help. And environment is on all the lists we see. Kids care about their world and their future.

What recommendations do you have for someone who wants to start a career in non-profit?
Follow you heart then get the best education in business, liberal arts and technology that you can get! We desperately need great leaders in the non-profit sector – and there is room for many. The non-profit sector, inspired by social profit rather than individual financial gain, needs great leaders and offers extraordinary rewards for those willing to jump in – even if at the expense of asset accumulation!!! Assets take many forms.

Get Involved in other Lifestyles campaigns now!

What's the most interesting or rewarding aspect of your job?
It is all very interesting and very rewarding. Every day is different and unique. I grow from the many challenges we face each day. And I really love seeing young people turn on and understand just how powerful they are.

Who do you admire?
John Gardner, our extraordinary Board members, and the youth who are breaking the mold and building extraordinary organizations around the globe to fight poverty, genocide, environmental degradation.

What influence do you think youths will have on changing the way companies market to consumers?
As their voice grows youth are influencing companies to rethink their products, materials they are using, how they treat their labor, their impact on local environments, and how they deliver their messages. Young people are just beginning to understand the leverage they have. As they become more aware of their “power” they’ll demand more change of the companies they purchase from,  interact with and work for.

Do you think that one person can make a difference?
Absolutely! I see individuals making a difference every day. The beauty of the Internet is that one person can now involve hundreds of thousands of others in their movements. So while and individual working on their own can have an impact – how much greater the impact when it is distributed to hundreds of thousands!

**The views and opinions of interviewees expressed here do not necessarily state or reflect those of Brickfish or its employees.

More about Jen Johnson, E.C. Star designer Tags: Jen, Fashion, Interview, E.C.Star, Mentor Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 12/20/2006 11:03 AM PT Last Modified: 2/7/2007 7:51 AM PT
Rate

Interview with Jen Johnson, Designer for E.C. Star

How did you become interested in fashion and designing?
I think every girl/boy becomes interested in Fashion designing the first time she/he goes shopping and either can’t find anything that she/he likes or can afford. For me it was both. When I was little I was with my great grandmother a lot, she made all my grandmas clothes in the 50’s. I would look at all the amazing photos of all the dress’s she made for my grandmother and wanted to learn what she did so well. She gave me her old singer sewing machine (that I still have) and taught me to sew. I made everything I wore in jr. high and high school. I always wanted clothes that no one else could have. I was very in to the thought of being "one of a kind". I loved designer fabrics and clothes and the craftsmanship of vintage. I would go thrift shopping a lot buy whatever caught my eye. Take it home, cut it up, shorten it and change the details and reinvent it to fit me. The interest grew from there.

How did you become the head designer of EC Star?
I was the buyer for a small boutique that carried smaller independent brands. We carried collections from designers you couldn’t find at the mall or really anywhere. I started doing small production runs for the store. The items I did to sell at the store did really well. I wanted to do bigger production runs and sell to additional stores across the world. I already was familiar with the market that existed. I talked to the owner of the boutique about starting our own brand. He was in to the idea and wanted to give it a shot. So I did a collection and showed it at the New York Boutique Show. I would normally go to this tradeshow to buy for the boutique but this time I was showing my first collection. We got enough orders to go in to production and that was the beginning of E.C. Star.

Check out Jen Johnson on Brickfish

What does your job entail?
Wow I don’t know where to start… I run the company. I do have four employees that share a lot of the daily duties. I do all the designs in house. I run all the production in California. We all contribute to the shipping, invoicing ECT. After that we try to go home and hope it wasn’t over a twelve-hour day…

What will be the must have for Spring 07'?
From us it’s the whole collection. Black and cream solids mixed with green and pink stripe accents. A vintage Carnival if you will. No more winter drab. Heavier fabrics until summer is closer. So you can still have that cute little short dress with out being too cold. The silhouette’s are a-line dresses and pin skirts w/flare. Cropped slim fit pants and fitted blazers. Girly looks of Mod rockers “The Jam” with a French 60’s fashion feel. At least that’s how I see it!

How do you predict upcoming fashion trends?
I have never worried about fashion trends. I like what I like and I always have. I have always been really
inspired by music. That mixed with details of the 30’s, 40’, 50’s, 60’s, 80’s. That is what becomes E.C. Star’s new collection. I guess it’s a mood thing for me… not a trend. I feel colors per season and I think about what I will be doing in those months to come. That’s how each season’s collection is formed.

Get Involved in Fashion campaigns today!

What is the most exciting part of your job?
Showing the line after it’s completed to my buyers that love it.

Who are your favorite designers?
I have a lot but I don’t always like every collection they do. I like a different designer every year, day, and month. Some in the past have been Alexander McQueen or Viviane Westwood. There are a lot more too many to name.

What would your recommendations be to someone wanting to start a career as a fashion designer?
I don’t think you learn fashion design. It’s an art. You can learn the technical parts. So if you have that, learn to sew so you understand construction. Learn pattern making so you can make it happen. Learn the difference in fabric so you know what works with patterns and construction. I guess that’s a good way to start.

What do the fans of EC star mean to you personally and to the direction of your clothing line?
They mean everything to me. I love the e-mails I get from girls across the world. It’s nice that people take the time letting me know which E.C. Star item they love the best, hearing the compliments they get from people while they are wearing it, as well as the inspiration they get from owning it. As far as the direction I suppose it inspires me to keep doing it… the direction is something I never know until my pencil hits the paper.

 

**The views and opinions of interviewees expressed here do not necessarily state or reflect those of Brickfish or its employees.

More About Josh Tags: Josh, Lifestyles, Interview, MyJob, Winner Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 12/18/2006 12:24 PM PT Last Modified: 2/7/2007 7:51 AM PT
Rate

 Interview with Josh, Grand Prize winner in November’s My Job___! campaign

First off, how and when did you hear about Brickfish?
I think it was back in the beginning of September. I was looking for scholarships online that I could either write an essay for or apply for.

Was this your first contest you entered here?
I entered into the previous My Job_____! contest, but only received about 8 votes.

What do you enjoy most about Brickfish?
The most... probably the contests. I like a lot of the people though too.... very friendly. I would imagine that if the contest were to take place now, especially with the way that you are having people write better reviews, then the reviews would be very helpful. I think being able to see the voting happen right before your eyes is something that a lot of scholarships do not offer.

Tell me about how it feels to win on Brickfish.
It was very emotional. At first it was just time consuming... I was exhausted from staying up late, then it became nerve racking because the votes were so close. But in the end it was such a relief to finally be the winner. Quite a rollercoaster, especially the way that the voting turned out.

Winning My Job _______! concept

What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site? About the contests?
About the site, I would tell them to explore everyone else's profiles to see how they ‘decorated.’ Having your own ‘personal space’ gives other people a feel for who you are. In the contests, I would tell people to give them a shot even if they think they don't stand a chance. I never expected to even be in the top ten.

Where did you get your inspiration for your entry? Where do you come up with your best ideas in general?
Well, I would have to say from the heart. I decided to write my blog in a way that it would both touch people's hearts and also give them a feel for who i am. I decided to add a little humor in it.

How has Brickfish helped you? What have you gained from hanging out here?
Brickfish has helped me in more than one way. First... the opportunity to win the contest and be able to continue furthering my education. And second.... to meet other people who are in the same boat as me. There are a few people who I still keep in contact with, so I gained a couple of friendships too.

Get Involved in the Lifestyles campaigns now!

Do you plan on entering more contests in the future?
I think so, in the future... right now I am taking a break so I can concentrate on school and also spend more time with my family, especially around the holidays.

What goals would you like to achieve in the next year?
In a little over a year I plan on graduating from college with my associate's degree in accounting... My fiance and I plan on getting married, but I'm not sure if we will be in a year because we need to save up some money.... unless you guys offer a contest for a hawaii dream wedding!! haha

Is there anything you would like to see more of on the site? Do you have any ideas for some cool contests?
Well there’s an idea…maybe more things to add to the profiles, like more music... more backgrounds, visitor counters...

More About Javier Tags: Javier, Music, Interview, Gosling, Winner Campaign: none   1 Reviews Added: 12/18/2006 11:14 AM PT Last Modified: 2/7/2007 7:51 AM PT
Rate

Interview with Javier, Grand Prize winner in November’s Gosling campaign

First off, how and when did you hear about Brickfish?

Through Gosling's website. They put up a post telling people to go there and enter...it looked like a fun little contest!  When...that was a couple days before the deadline November...26th, 7th?

 

What do you enjoy most about Brickfish?

I like the sense of community that you guys have managed to build. Lots of interaction, and it provides really interesting opportunities to share and comment.

Tell me about how it feels to win on Brickfish.

Hmm, it feels encouraging… really nice! I'll for sure do it more. Also flattering I guess.

 

Winning Gosling concept

What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site?  About the campaigns?

Well, I would say, make sure you have a sense of style and that if the band is choosing the winner, that you can accommodate your ideas into something that works with the image that they have going on... look at their website, take note of fonts and color schemes. As for campaign advice, I’m probably the last person to ask about that one! But I suppose if you leave a lot of comments and make your presence known...

Where did you get your inspiration for your entry? Where do you come up with your best ideas in general?

On photoshop. To me color and balance, simplicity, are all super important, and I've been a fan of the band so long that i have a definite sense of their preferred aesthetic. My entry kind of reminds me of a chocolate bar wrapper from the 70's.

 

How has Brickfish helped you? What have you gained from hanging out here?

Well, the prizes are way cool... Brickfish definitely gives me something more to do with my time.

 

Do you feel like it's more fun and fulfilling way to spend your time than sitting in front of the TV or whatever you used to do with your time?

FOR SURE! Yeah, its cool cause it makes a hobby into something that I can benefit from. I could send this out in a resume some day. You can't do that with TV.

 

Do you have any hidden talents?

Mmm... hidden...Well I'd say they're all exposed. Haha! I'm trying to figure out this Rubiks cube at the moment. If I get that, that can be  my hidden talent.

 

What goals would you like to achieve in the next year?

More competitions! More designs, maybe get paid to design.

By entering this contest Gosling gave you the opportunity to have a say in their designs, so you get to tell them what you want to support.  How do you feel about Gosling doing this?
It would be very flattering if they actually used this design. They’ve always been very nice to fans...so I suppose I'm not too surprised. I feel like Gosling is a very design conscious band. They know a thing or two about what images they send out and its nice of them to let fans contribute to that.

Javier has submitted 3 concepts into Brickfish campaigns:

    

Wrap it Up! concept                                   Gosling concept      

**The views and opinions of interviewees expressed here do not necessarily state or reflect those of Brickfish or its employees.

More About Ariel Tags: Ariel, Fashion, Interview, Winner, FashionS.O.S, CharlotteRusse Campaign: none   0 Reviews Added: 12/18/2006 11:09 AM PT Last Modified: 2/7/2007 7:51 AM PT
Rate

 Interview with Ariel, Runner up in November's Fashion S.O.S campaign

First off, how did you hear about Brickfish?
Well, there is this website that I sometimes go to called fatwallet.com and they have a forum where people post all sorts of different online contests that you can enter. I just followed a link someone posted to Brickfish and that's how I got started. 

What do you enjoy most about Brickfish?
I think what I enjoy most is that it always gets me working on something new and creative to enter in the contests and that Brickfish has some really amazing prizes!

Tell me about how it feels to win on Brickfish. 
It amazes me. All I did was upload a few pictures onto the internet, and I've managed to win something.

Before and After
Winning Fashion S.O.S concept

Where did you get your inspiration for your entry? Where do you come up with your best ideas in general?
That's a hard one...I don't know, I guess inspiration just comes to me.  In the Decemberists contest, I was definitely influenced by the actual art used by the band, and I wanted to create something new that still reminded me of the band and their music.

How has Brickfish helped you? What have you gained from hanging out here?
I've won some cool prizes, had fun making all of my contest entries, and met some really great people!

By sponsoring this contest, Charlotte Russe is saying that they want to see how you interpret their brand. How do you feel about Charlotte Russe doing this and this opportunity they've given you?
Well, I think that the fact that they are actually looking at how people view their brand and looking for input shows that they are an intelligent company and that they are probably willing to make changes to better their store when necessary.

Do you have any hidden talents?
Umm...I don't know, I guess I try not to hide my talents. LOL

Get Involved in Fashion campaigns today!

What advice and encouragement would you give to new members about the site?  About the contests?
Well, I think the best advice is to always enter the contests as soon as possible, because there are always people who enter near the very end and their artwork is amazing, but they just don't have time to catch up.  Also, I would recommend that new members make sure they read the rules and guidelines of each contest carefully, because it may make them feel relieved to know that in many of the contests, just because you do not have the most votes doesn't mean you can't still be selected. In many of the contests, the sponsor gets to choose between the best entries.

What goals would you like to achieve in the next year?
Well, I will be graduating high school in the spring so my biggest goal for the upcoming year will be to do well in college when I start next fall. And my New Year's resolution for next year will be to get more sleep.

Is there anything you would like to see more of on the site? Do you have any ideas for some cool contests?
The contests have been really great so far. It's honestly hard to think of better ones!

Ariel has entered 10 concepts into Brickfish campaigns:
What's Hot or Not concept
Crazy for Brickfish concept

         
      Wrap It Up! concept                The Decemberist's concept            Taste of Chaos concept

 

**The views and opinions of interviewees expressed here do not necessarily state or reflect those of Brickfish or its employees.