I’VE TAKEN A PARTNER.

The partners here have had a lot of discussions about moving the agency forward and getting to the next level. It became clear that if I could find someone who had a track record of creating award-winning work across all channels, who was renowned in the industry for his new media prowess, and who was a really nice guy, well, then there would be nothing VB&P couldn’t do. To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure this mythological creature existed. But it does. And it goes by the name Will McGinness.

I’m thrilled and downright giddy to say, Will McGinness is joining forces with VB&P (you can read the press release here). He’ll be my creative partner, and he’ll work across accounts just as I do. His title will be my title: Creative Director. The creative leaders here now have another complementary resource to turn to for guidance and direction and multi-platform thinking.

It’s an exciting time. For the agency. For me, personally. And even for the industry, if I may be so bold. It’s going to expect great things from this combination. And I can tell you with complete certainty, the people of this agency are ready for the challenge. Especially the new guy.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.

Last week we launched two new TV spots for Barclays Bank, “Narcissism” and “Uncertainty.” The work continues to uphold Barclays’ message of substance and stability. “Narcissism” calls bankers out for too often being in love with themselves, while in contrast, Barclays bankers focus on their clients. “Uncertainty” builds off last year’s TV commercial “Fake,” which positioned Barclays as a safe haven in a precarious financial climate. In this new effort, Barclays promises to be that same trusted and experienced partner as Wall Street figures out what the heck it’s doing. Daniel Kleinman directed the spots.

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE.

This week we announced the addition of new client, Clearwire, the leading 4G mobile broadband internet provider. This news comes on the heels of VB&P’s 40% revenue growth since 2008 and a banner new business year thus far in 2010. VB&P added Phillips 66 to its current ConocoPhillips responsibilities and expanded its work on the ConAgra portfolio with a significant assignment for Chef Boyardee. So far, the SF Egotist, Adweek and the New York Times have all picked up the news.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND.

Last week Paul returned to the Ron Owens show on ABC radio out of San Francisco. If you want to know what his biggest pet peeve is when watching football, the best place to learn how to be a copywriter and why McDonald’s uses the colors yellow and red to sell hamburgers, tune in here.

SHOCK ADVERTISING.

ABC’s Nightline invited our agency President Bob Molineaux onto their program about shock advertising and featured our work for the Meth Project. In the debate over the effectiveness of using graphic ads, we’re proud to say our work for the Meth Project is winning. In the five years since they’ve been running, teen meth use is down by 63% and adult use by 72% in the state of Montana. Watch the show here.

RAVIOLI IS FOREVER.

Today, Adweek Ad Critic Barbara Lippert gave a glowing review of our first work for Chef Boyardee. “The work really works. The tone is perfect,” she said. In the spot, a Chef-eater is confronted by her once-loved, now-abandoned blankey. Needless to say, the insecure blanket is not happy to learn that its owner has not outgrown the saucy taste of Chef Boyardee. Look for a cantankerous soldier and a PO’d nightlight to follow in blankey’s ravioli-scoffing footsteps. In the meantime, check out the article here.

HELLO EMMYS.

What do our Audi “Green Car” spot, Steve Carrell of “The Office” and “Glee” all have in common? Turns out, we’ve all been nominated for the 2010 Emmy awards. Our “Green Car” Super Bowl spot is in the running for “Outstanding Commercial.” Tune in on August 29th to see what happens.

THE SF EGOTISTS ASKS. PAUL ANSWERS.

This week, the San Francisco Egotist featured Paul in a Q&A. Read here about the best advice he ever received, why the world doesn’t need another ad agency, and why he thinks San Francisco trumps New York.

OUR CLIENTS AREN’T LIKE YOUR CLIENTS.

Ad Age has named our Intel client, Deborah Conrad, a “Woman to Watch.” This is not exactly news to us. We fell in love with her as a client on day one, and she’s been pivotal in leading our work for “Sponsors of Tomorrow.” As Paul Venables tells Ad Age, “All great clients are smart, intuitive and courageous, and Deborah Conrad is all of the above. But what makes her the kind of client the agency bleeds for is how she is as a person.” Thanks, Deborah, for being a rockstar client and for making us all look good.

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE ADS.

In a recent Adweek article, Paul Venables gave some wise advice on starting your own agency. According to Paul, his smartest business decision was not just opening VB&P, but also building the right agency culture. “The tendency is for grizzled creative veterans to open a shop and think it’s all about the ads. It isn’t. It’s about the people. Attract the right people and they will create the right ads,” he said. And there’s more. To learn about his biggest mistake, read here.