Ad School

For young people, work experience is often associated with tedious tasks such as making cups of tea and photocopying. It rarely gives you a true insight into the industry itself leaving you none the wiser on whether that career is for you.

Determined to make a change, VCCP have created Ad School - a week long crash course teaching you everything you need to know about advertising. And I was lucky enough to take part.

On Monday morning we were split into groups and briefed by a client. Throughout the week we spent time with various members of the agency, who taught us everything we needed to know in order to answer the brief. From planning to TV production to social media, we learnt about each and every part of the agency. Applying our learnings, we then presented back our ideas to a panel of judges on the final day. 

I would be lying if I said it was easy - it was an intense week which really did put your skills to the test. But it was worth every minute of it as I couldn't have asked for a better introduction into the world of advertising. I have gained so much knowledge through working first-hand on a brief from start to finish. 

12 months on

I cannot believe 12 months have passed since I last posted on here. I won't start making excuses as in all honestly, I don't have any, so let's just pick up where we left off..

This time last year I was desperately seeking a job for my year in industry. I'm now half way through my 12 month placement with O2 and loving every minute of it. Working in the Campaigns team for O2 Business has forced me to enter the big wide world, which I guess isn't as scary as I thought.

So, what have I learnt?

1. Getting a placement is tough. Applications, telephone interviews, assessment centres - it's a long process. And it takes a lot of determination. But practice makes perfect and I can assure you it's worth it in the end. 
2. Working life takes some getting used to. 9-5, 5 days a week is very different to life as a student. Lets just say 9am lectures no longer seem worth complaining about. 
3. It's not what you know, it's who you know. Unfortunately this is the sad reality. Network with anyone and everyone - you never know who you may need in the future. 
4. There is no better teacher than experience. It's all very well having the skills, but they're of no use until you put them into practice. Challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone and try something new. 
5. Make the most of your weekends. For some reason, they seem to go 10x faster than any other day of the week so make plans and do something different. You can sleep when you're dead right?

Borough Market

Last Monday I met with the advertising agency 'Thinking Gravity'. I spent the morning chatting to the owners of the agency, learning about every different aspect of advertising.

Located on Southbank, Thinking Gravity is a 5 minute walk from Borough Market. Having never been before and after hearing such positive things, I decided to pay a visit.

Borough Market is located next to London Bridge station and is London's most renowned food market. 
As it was Monday, the full market wasn't open, however they were still serving lunch so there were plenty of food stalls to drool over. 

I highly recommend taking a trip to Borough Market (at the weekend if possible). I will definitely be returning very soon!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Using cauliflower in cooking seems to be the latest craze. At first I was apprehensive I must admit, but you don’t know until you try and I was surprisingly impressed. I am a big fan of 'Jamie's Money Saving Meals' - a TV series on Channel 4. A couple of weeks ago, he created a veggie korma using sweet potato and chickpeas. He used cauliflower and cooked it in such a way that it looks, feels and acts like rice.

And this isn’t where the cauliflower craze ends. With many people raving about cauliflower crust pizzas, I thought I'd see what the fuss was about and give it a go.

At the end of last week I went back home as I had a few interviews lined up for my placement year. My parents had jetted off skiing so I was home alone for a couple of days - not quite the home comfort I'd been hoping for. With time to kill and an empty house, it was a perfect opportunity to try out this new recipe.

Most of the recipes I found were similar, but I based mine on one from The Londoner.

All you need for one pizza is:

• 1 small cauliflower
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup grated mozzarella 
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 egg
• A pinch of salt and pepper
• Tomato sauce/puree 

And any toppings you fancy...

Start by pre-heating the oven to 180C

Remove the stalks from the cauliflower and cut into small pieces. Put it all in a food processor and whizz until it is finely pulsed

Place in a heatproof bowl, cover and microwave for 4 minutes

Pour the cauliflower onto a clean tea towel and leave to cool slightly

Once cool enough, wrap the cauliflower in the tea towel and ring out all the moisture. Keep squeezing until there is no water left

Add the egg, parmesan, mozzarella, dried oregano and garlic to the cauliflower

Mix until thoroughly combined - use your hands if necessary. 

Use your hands to form the dough on the greaseproof paper. Make sure its tightly packed, not too thin nor too thick. 

Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and add the tomato sauce and toppings - I went crazy and added mozzarella, mushrooms, ham, red onion, rocket, tomatoes… but you can literally use whatever you have

Place back in oven for another 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and toppings appear ready

Slice, serve and enjoy.

Brunching and Lunching

With the sudden realisation of how quickly my time in Newcastle is going, I promised myself that I would make the most of this year. 

Until recently I've always thought that Newcastle only really has the generic, chain cafes and restaurants. Admittedly, the unique places are well hidden, however they're definitely worth the search. 

This week I've had my fair share of brunching and lunching, starting at Olive and Bean. 

'Olive and Bean is a coffee shop, bespoke sandwich bar and delicatessen all rolled into one'

Escaping from the library, Becca and I went to Olive and Bean for lunch. With an extensive menu, we were spoilt for choice and the decision was hard. I settled for the homemade humous, falafel and sun-blushed tomato salad and it did not disappoint.

The selection of sweet treats was too much. Cakes, tiffin, brownies, cheesecake - they had it all. As always, our eyes were far bigger than our stomachs. Not letting anything go to waste, we resorted to taking doggy bags home!

Next was birthday brunch at Jam Jar in Jesmond. Having been for dinner before, I had no doubt that brunch would be equally as good. Serving full english, pancakes and eggs florentine, Jam Jar is the perfect wake up call. 

Last up was lunch at ARLO, also in Jesmond. This bistro and cafe is a real hidden beauty. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, ARLO is decorated in a quirky yet quaint way. 

This was the perfect way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon. Catering for all, the lunch menu offers soup, sandwiches, quiche, salads and more. Make sure you leave room for the amazing cakes!

The Sloppy Lola 

Toulouse sausage Bolognese, toasted ciabatta, melted cheddar, salad & crisps

Crumbled Feta, Hummus, Sun blushed Tomato and Roast Vegetable Soft Open Tortilla

Homemade Gifts

It's January which means it's exam time.

Luckily this year I only have one exam so I'm making the most of my time at home, taking the more chilled approach to revision...

I decided to use my time productively and with one of my closest friends birthdays just around the corner, I got creative. 

I've always been a fan of homemade presents, it's such a great way to save money and add a personal touch. Some things - cushions in particular are often nicer when made yourself as you can choose the material you like and add whatever you fancy.

Having never made one myself, I took on the challenge of making a cushion. 

Mum and I made use of material we already had, along with a selection of buttons which I decided to use to form a heart for the centre of the cushion. 

Putting my hand sewing skills to test, I sewed on each button individually - turns out secondary school textiles classes were useful after all.

And there we have it, a homemade present which looks just as good as anything shop-bought! 

Reasons to Believe

'For every reason to fear, there is a reason to hope. For every reason to give up or give in, there is a reason to dig deep and try harder. And for every reason to doubt, there are countless reasons to believe in a better tomorrow.'

Ultimately, the message behind Coca-Cola's new campaign 'Reasons to Believe' is that despite all the negative things that we see day-to-day, there is more good than bad. 

Coca-Cola's marketing has always been of interest to me:

The way in which they customise their products to each and every culture. 

The way in which they are have created such a recognisable brand image. 

The way in which they shaped the image of Santa Claus. 

This new campaign continues to follow the brands values - evoking happy memories. The bold, thought provoking advert can be related to and inspire all.