J Barbush

VP, Creative Social Media Director @rpa_advertising

[jjbarbush]

Shot this Honda 360 Music video featuring the imagination of Moses Sumney. Works best on mobile or headset. 

[jjbarbush]

Brands, stop asking me to Join the Conversation.

It’s a pet peeve. That seemingly inviting line brands use to introduce their social networks on packaging, ads, etc. “Join the Conversation at...” they ask. Beyond it being overused, on a deeper level

Linked in article on social brand speak.

[jjbarbush]

8 ways for millennials to grow into awesome creative directors - Digiday

It may be a few years down the road, but to be a great CD, you should start learning now. They don’t teach that stuff in ad school or at your agency.

Article I put together for Digiday on the importance of growing into the CD you want to be. 

[jjbarbush]

Welcome

I've always loved advertising. Not for its transactional nature, but for its ability to use pictures and words to move and connect. To me, advertising is about the story. Nothing more, nothing less. 

This is the collection of my thoughts, some selected work from my 20+ years in advertising (17 of which spent @ rpa) and also the stories behind the stories. 

Like life, none of this is in any particular order. 

[jjbarbush]

UPDATE: T-Mobile Appears to Pull Twitter Ad After Backlash

T-Mobile walked into a hornet's nest on Twitter after buying today's Promoted Trend—which costs around $200,000—and employing the hashtag #NeverSettleForVerizon. Many former T-Mobile customers tweeted in protest to the ad, some of whom claim to have moved from the telecom to rival Verizon.

Perspective on T-mobile for Adweek.

[jjbarbush]

Brands Should Beware the Legal Hazards of Flirting With Celebs in Social

These days, the rise of social media has produced a gray area for brands, as some unknowingly assume high risk in their pursuit to be topical and clever while attaching themselves to celebrities. Enter real-time marketing, or RTM. I have spent enough hours in meetings with Legal to know one thing.

Contributed article for Adweek

[jjbarbush]

Huge night for rpa at LA Addy Awards.

We took home 11 Gold, 12 Silver, 21 Bronze and Best of Show. “Fit Kit” later won Gold in the District category. 

[jjbarbush]

Honda HR-V Selfie Edition

https://vimeo.com/123821227

Each year we put together an April Fool’s prank for Honda. This year we found Ashley and put her to work to introduce everyone to the Selfie Edition Honda. Huge earned media, including mainstream. Super fun project. 

Watch it: https://vimeo.com/123821227

[jjbarbush]

Article I wrote for Digiday:

[jjbarbush]

Piece I wrote for FastCO.

[jjbarbush]

Article I wrote for ImediaConnection:

[jjbarbush]

Spoof of between two ferns I wrote and directed with a ZG lookalike. Done in 2010, so a bit long by today's standards, but it still makes me giggle.

[jjbarbush]

Wrote, co-directed and propped this ice-bucket challenge that was featured in adweek,and in adage as a representation of top trends of 2014

https://vimeo.com/110622999

http://creativity-online.com/abstract?article_id=36845

[jjbarbush]

Interview on Distilled.net about Honda's community and fan love

http://bit.ly/1BC42UW

[jjbarbush]

I created this site after we won two Gold Lions at Cannes for Project Drive-In. Instead of keeping them on the trophy shelf, we released them into the wild for all associates to experience in super-creative ways. http://wheresthelion.tumblr.com/

[jjbarbush]

One of our smaller, yet more delicious clients, Audrey's cookies is a brand I helped develop, and bring to market. We made their brand about the wisdom of a patriarch, with a tone that was contrarian to the way sweets are now portrayed or vilified. It's more like, "Hey, it's just a cookie."

[jjbarbush]

Skeletor Is Waging a Twitter Takeover of @Honda. Here Are the Best Moments So Far

One of the universe's greatest villians has conquered the Twitter feed of one the world's most recognized automotive brands.