Lauren Eddy and Aicha Wijland’s Creative LIAisons Diary #5
CHE Proximity Melbourne copywriter Lauren Eddy (right) and art director Aicha Wijland (left) – winners of the MADC + LIA ‘Pitch a ride to Vegas’ competition – are representing Australia at the 2019 LIA Creative LIAisons program in Las Vegas. The program features some of the world’s most respected creative directors as speakers. Here Eddy and Wijland continue to report exclusively for CB.
Dear Diary,
We’ll keep this final one short – pools and pokies are calling.
Since our wild week is wrapping up, and our brains are full from learning (pretty sure we know everything now), we’re un-swapping roles. Bring back the alliteration baby, Aïcha’s the art director again.
Creative LIAisons was rounded off in true Yankee style, with an entrepreneurial workshop feat. Daymond John from Shark Tank. So I guess that makes us entrepreneurs now, kinda like Lindsay Lohan.
So what exactly did we learn here? Oodles. But here are our top 5 takeaways:
1. Although we’re still learning, our point of view is just as relevant as those who’ve been in the game forever. And we shouldn’t be shy about sharing it.
2. We learnt how to get what you want at work, and how not to piss off everyone while you’re doing it.
3. You can ask anyone you want to be your mentor. If they’re worth learning from, they’ll want to help.
4. Brands have more power than governments.
5. Don’t pay to go to Europe when you can do shots on the sunny Venetian canals at midnight.
The highlight? Making friends from all over the world. And some of them weren’t even Australian! Thanks to LIA, we’ve got couches to crash on in Chicago, New York, Toronto, Paris, Berlin & Amsterdam.
Before we sign off, we want to thank Adrian and Sarah and everyone at MADC for giving us that ridiculously oversized boarding pass. It’s been an invaluable experience and we won’t forget it. Plus a massive thanks to Barbara from LIA for putting on the show.
Sure there were some weird moments this week, but it’s Vegas. Everyone wins here, right? Well ok, maybe some people will walk away losers. But don’t despair if that’s you. After all, every time you lose something, you learn something.
Signing off for the last time,
L&A @ LIA