Jay Suhr fell in love with the ad business in college; since then, it's all he's wanted to do. After more than a decade at Ogilvy & Mather (as senior partner and creative director), in 1999 he joined T3.
10.17.07
Don't Read. Just Look.
What's currently your favorite project? I am a huge fan of the UK microsite that supports the launch of the new Volvo C30 (coming to the U.S. in the fall). The site is a great example of concept, demonstration and a whimsical interpretation of one of the world's most recognized brands.
What's the subject/topic of it? It’s one of a long line of new car intro sites. But this one is decidedly cool because it's honest in introducing a car that has a polarizing design. Under a theme of "Love it or hate it? What do you think?" the site is an invitation for drivers to explore and share their opinions on the new hatchback. The C30 is a break from Volvo's traditional line of boxy sedans (like my 1996 850), with a focus on a younger audience.
What's so great about it? The C30 site works on every level. There is a strong conceptual idea that runs through everything, putting the focus on a car that’s not for everyone. (An animated character introduces one section by jumping out of the car with a smile and a "Love it?" thought bubble, then spews cartoon vomit with a thought bubble of "Hate it?" then poses the question, "What do you think?")
The art direction is Monty Python meets Tim Burton, with a cardboard box serving as a visual platform, with fifteen boxes of gadgets, TV spots, photo galleries and other ephemera to click through. Branded elements provide a refreshing sense of whimsy for Volvo (especially for an American Volvo enthusiast like me), but always keep the product and Volvo’s heritage front and center.
What makes it technically compelling? I never look at these from a technical standpoint. The entire campaign is perfectly integrated. Production value is consistent across the broadcast and interactive elements in film, animation and sound design. The site encourages exploration every step of the way. And every click yields a surprise. It's easy to spend a lot of time (and repeat visits) on the site without feeling you've being oversold.
"Unbox Your C30" is brilliant. It's the site's build your own car feature, but it's much more engaging than what's typical on other new car sites. Beginning with a flattened box, visitors select the color, (which is applied with a paint roller); wheel rims are dragged and dropped into place; and interior colors are applied by a steam iron. When ready, your C30 becomes a 3-D cube, before breaking out of its box for the requisite 360-degree views.
How would you improve it? Or would you? The core idea needs no improvement. When you get into the technical details, it seems like you have to click a lot of things to move onto each step. It also feels that every feature has a download, forward or share prompt which, I admit, gets a bit tiresome. It's unfortunate that the Volvo U.S. site adopted elements from this campaign, but sanitized it.
What's your job?/Where do you work? Functionally, I'm the SVP of creative services and account planning at T3, an integrated marketing agency with offices in Austin, New York and San Francisco. In reality, I'm a copywriter and ad dweeb.
If you have a degree in what field is it? I have a B.A. in journalism with a concentration in advertising from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
How did you get involved in this industry? I fell in love with the ad business in college. It's all I wanted to do.
What's your biggest Web (design) turn-off? Boring load bars, for one. Secondly, as a writer, I'm frustrated by sites written to trick the search engines, with lots of redundant headlines, subheads and copy sections. That approach trashes copy flow.
Who, in this industry (or not), has been your biggest inspiration? I've always been inspired by thinkers: from Bill Bernbach to Jay Chiat, Lee Clow, Jeff Goodby, Rich Silverstein and Mike Hughes.
What's the weirdest thing you've bought online? A Slippery Rock University T-shirt.
What do you do in your spare time? Feed my SportsCenter addiction.
What music are you listening to right now? At the moment, the Volvo C30 site soundtrack, which is now becoming annoying.
What product/gadget can you not live without? I'm not a gadget guy, but my Blackberry is my new li'l friend.
What's your dream computer set-up? A really fast Dell notebook with a wireless broadband card that I need to con my IT department into acquiring for me. I'm beyond hot spots.