On September 15th, 2023, AAF Buffalo hosted its annual Agency Tour event for our student membership. This year we focused on showcasing concise studios in downtown Buffalo with a specialized focus. Our first stop of the day was Mr. Smith, then to dPost, and then to White Bicycle. We had some great conversations, marveled at some great downtown views, and shared a lot of smiles.
Stop 1: Mr. Smith
Mr. Smith is located in downtown Buffalo on the intersection of Washington and Mohawk Street across the street from the Western New York Book Arts Center. This powerhouse agency, although compact in size, boasts an impressive portfolio, including collaborations with Labatt Brewing, Buffalo Collegiate, and Big Brothers Big Sister, among others. During our visit, we were captivated by the wisdom shared by Art Director Lindsay Neilson and Creative Director and Partner Chrissy Pyne. Their secret sauce? A genuine passion for building enduring client relationships, understanding brands from the inside out, and a work environment that’s both functional and inspiring.
Stop 2: dPost
After we got to meet the people behind the Mr. Smith name, we huffed it on foot over to dPost on Main Street just steps away from Shea’s Performing Arts Center. DPost describes themselves as a “modern content company” on their website, but after taking a trip around their studio, there’s way more to them than that. From editing to post-production, animation, 3D rendering, content capturing, studio space, content strategy, and more, dPost fits a lot behind the doors of their Main Street address. DPost has clients like Lowe’s, Ford, Wegmans, Fisher Price, and New Era and the material they make for them had us all blown away. We also had a blast seeing how they shoot slow motion and food commercials. (Pro tip from Shannon Silva: don’t eat the foot being filmed! It won’t be appetizing.)
Stop 3: White Bicycle
And just like that, we arrived at White Bicycle, at their new(ish) space on Ellicott Street. Like Mr. Smith and dPost, White Bicycle consists of a tight-knit team of creatives. Unlike Mr. Smith and dPost, White Bicycle describes their bread and butter as print design. While the studio develops numerous integrated campaigns and works on several branding projects a year, their print work for the Burchfield Penney Art Center, posters, and numerous album packaging designs always catch the attention of students’ eyes. Here, students spoke with Partner and “Design Monger” Kyle Morrissey and Senior Designer Chelsea Carney about how their team collaborates with digital whiteboards and a whole lot of post-its.
Thank you to everyone who came out to this year’s Agency Tour! Great questions were asked, valuable connections were made, and interesting conversations transpired between stops. We also want to express our gratitude to the agencies that took part and shared inspiring information. Their contributions not only benefit students on their college journey but also strengthen the local industry as a whole. We’re already excited for our next trip!
By the end of the night we raised $3,800! All of the tips went directly to the AAF Buffalo scholarship fund and will be used to support high school and college students interested in continuing their studies in advertising.
Huge shout out to the participating companies for lending their bartending talents for the night and adding their own personal touches to the open bar.
Buffalo Prep Day kicked off Wednesday, 8/9 with 13 students from Buffalo Prep touring local agencies. The Martin Group was the first stop on the list, where the students enjoyed some breakfast and got to know some members of the agency. They heard from TMG’s creative director who spoke to them about a PUMA x Footlocker campaign that the agency worked on a while back. The students were filled with curiosity of what it’s like to work at an agency and had a variety of insightful questions.
Next stop, just on the other side of Shea’s, dPost welcomed the kids from Buff Prep and took them on a tour of the post facilities and our studio spaces. They were engaged, asked all the right questions and champed at the bit to dive into the workshops we set up. They sprinkled shredded paper in slow motion, dressed a set, and talked gear before heading to our green room to break down some of our favorite projects. They were hungry for lunch but even hungrier to learn. Still, we know better than to get between teenagers and pizza so onto Crowley Webb for a lunch ‘n learn!
To end the journey, Crowley Webb was thrilled to welcome Buffalo Prep students, providing an overview of Crowley Webb, showcasing some of the recent work, and highlighting ways to get involved in the advertising industry no matter what your passions are. We finished the afternoon with pizza and a tour of our agency, including our latest video addition, CW Studios!
