It’s no secret that the Lehigh Valley is home to not only brilliant creative minds, but also wonderful history and breathtaking architecture. With that in mind, the Society of the Arts (SOTA), in conjunction with the Allentown Art Museum, has chosen Three Chimneys Farm, and its charming Victorian farmhouse, in Coopersburg for their bi-annual Showhouse.  And, in concert with local designers and landscapers, SOTA has transformed this 1876 property into a true work of art.

When it came time to produce a web presence for this one-of-a-kind work of art and craftsmanship, SOTA turned to First Generation to produce a website worthy of its beauty—and FG was happy to deliver. SOTAShowhouse.org stands as an online brochure for the event, offering information and history on SOTA, Three Chimneys Farm, as well as ticket information, an interactive map, and a full listing of all of those that made the 2012 SOTA Showhouse possible.
So, browse the website, and then take a trip to beautiful Three Chimneys Farm for a taste of history, beauty, and craftsmanship right here in the Lehigh Valley.

The 2012 SOTA Showhouse runs from April 28th through May 20th, and ticketing information can be found at www.SOTAShowhouse.org. Proceeds benefit the SOTA Print Fund and educational programs of the Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley.

Last night’s ADDY Awards Gala brought out the best of the best in Lehigh Valley’s advertising scene. Representatives from agencies and organizations across the Lehigh Valley came together to celebrate the creative spirit of advertising at this year’s awards ceremony and reception at the Hotel Bethlehem, hosted by the Lehigh Valley Ad Club and sponsored by First Generation.

The ADDY Awards are the nation’s largest awards competition, awarding excellence in advertising through over 200 American Advertising Federation member clubs across the country.

First Gen truly represented itself as a creative force to be reckoned with at this years ADDYs,  not only sponsoring the event, but arriving with a total of 19 attendees (all looking quite sharp, I might add), providing our A/V services through our Hotel Bethlehem A/V partnership, and leaving with a total of 11 awards – including 2 Gold!

I wouldn’t expect any less from the amazing team at First Generation. As Creative Director, I’m proud to represent such a talented and committed group who consistently puts forth an incredible effort to create award-winning work for our clients.

First Generation congratulates all of this year’s winners, and sends out a big thank you to the Lehigh Valley Ad Club for hosting the event. We also thank all of our clients, who know that working with us is a “win-win” situation!

Check out our winning entries:

GOLD Winner: New World Aviation 'Go' Mailer

GOLD Winner: Carpenter Knife Box

B|Braun Perifix Video

MTF Biologics.org Launch Campaign

Olympus Dealer Sales Kit and Catalog

B|Braun Infusion Systems Space Pump Video

Carpenter 'Natures Energy' 2012 Calendar

B|Braun 'Changing Lives, Saving Lives' Video

Olympus TruePic VI Video

Carpenter 'Tactical Advantage' Video

First Generation '1G for Good' Video

By now, you’ve surely heard about our 1G for Good contest, and the fact that we’ll be awarding $1,000 to a local organization, foundation, or club. But did you know that we could feature you and your cause in our social media, blog, press releases or more? Just contact us and let us know a little about the cause you plan to nominate when you enter the contest. Or, if you’re part of a charitable group, tell us how you plan to challenge your staff or volunteers with submitting entries to help your group win! Whether you’ll be nominating a community group a or a nationwide charity with a local chapter, we’ll help you spread the word about the service they provide to our community and why they deserve support!

To learn more about becoming a featured participant, please contact Sara Lorenz at 610-437-4300 or slorenz@firstgencom.com. For more information about the 1G for Good contest, or to submit an entry, please visit www.1Gforgood.com. Hurry – the cutoff date for contest entries is July 1!

Did you know that First Generation’s Studio is available for rental? Our studio has been used to film commercials, television programs, PSAs, and sales meeting and training videos, as well as photo shoots, live bands, and sound recordings. It’s spacious enough to accommodate multiple Mack trucks, and if you need support for your project, we can provide you with film and HD camera packages, set construction, lighting, camera crew, producers, directors, AV equipment and more!

STUDIO SPECS:

75’ x 46’ x 22’
2-Walled Hard CYC 40’ x 40’
13’ x 12’ Access Doors
Lighting Grid
Dressing, Make-up
Set Construction
Fully Functional 45’ Fixed  Bar Set

AMENITIES:

Kitchen
Security
Conference Room
Storage
Back Lot
Power: 250 Amps

Give us a call at 610-437-4300 for more information on studio rental.

The ‘1G for Good’ contest is in full swing and the entries are rolling in! We’re challenging local groups, organizations and clubs to get creative and compete for the chance to win a $1,000 donation from First Generation. We’ve been receiving submissions in the form of videos, essays, songs, and works of art from folks in Lehigh, Carbon, and Northampton County.

The American Cancer Society is just one organization that will be participating in the contest. They are challenging their employees and volunteers to use their imaginations and create entries that will get them into the finals and help them win the $1G. “We are very excited to have this opportunity,” states Tom Harper, Income Development Manager for the American Cancer Society’s East Region. “This gives us a chance to engage our staff and volunteers with a new and fun way to help gain additional funding for our mission. I’m very interested to see how creative people will be with this great initiative.”

As the Official Sponsor of Birthdays™, the American Cancer Society provides critical programs and resources at no cost to people impacted by cancer in their local communities. Volunteers further the Society’s mission by participating in events such as Relay For Life, Daffodil Days, and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer; advocating for cancer patients’ rights at all levels of government; and by supporting cancer survivors through the Society’s various local programs and services that include free transportation to treatment appointments.

If you want to help the American Cancer Society or any other charitable organization of your choice win a $1,000 donation, you can submit an essay, song, video, or any electronic work of art that tells First Generation why they deserve $1,000. Entries can be submitted until July 1, 2011 at www.1Gforgood.com and will be judged solely on creativity. Finalists’ entries will be announced and posted on www.1Gforgood.com on August 1, 2011 for a month-long voting process, letting the public choose the winner and allowing contestants to promote their entry as they please. The entry receiving the highest number of votes will receive a  $1,000 donation to the organization represented in the entry.

Inky the Inkblot, First Generation’s naughty but beloved consultant and resident celebrity, has been promoted to a full-time staff position as Executive Senior Global Information Liaison. Inky’s antics at the First Generation holiday party last December nearly got him fired from the agency, but like any celebrity, his woes and faults only made him more popular amongst followers.

“First Generation frowns upon Inky’s behavior at the party,” said Creative Director Sara Lorenz, “but it is rumored that it was simply a publicity stunt. We gave him a stern reprimand and suspended him from company activities until March’s Addy awards.” At the Addy Awards, Inky took home a bronze and and showed enough restraint in the celebrations thereafter that he was brought back on the FG scene for a probationary period. His growth and maturity, as well as seemingly improved behavior, earned him this promotion.

Recently, Inky has been traveling the world and sharing his experiences via social media. He’s also been known to discuss important news, such as the recent Hipster Trap scandal in New York.

“We really missed Inky during the months after the party,” explains Integrated Marketing Producer Andrea Coyne, “and I’m glad that he made a comeback. He’s really cleaned up his act now that he has become our Executive Senior Global Information Liaison. He’s lost a lot of weight, and looks especially dapper in that suit and tie. I think sometimes my husband gets jealous he’s in the office next to mine.”

In the upcoming months, Inky will be taking part in FG studio shoots, as well as working with producers and First Generation’s creative team on various projects. He will continue to share his observations and unique perspective on his social media pages. We are also told he is also in the process of filming a new video with an undetermined release date.

You can follow Inky on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fginkblot, on Twitter @FGinkblot, and view his films at www.youtube.com/fginkblot.

You may read this question and assume that First Gen is going to give you $1G, but before you figure out how many $.99 tacos you’ll get with $1,000, think again! Do you know how many local charitable organizations, foundations, and clubs located in Lehigh, Northampton or Carbon County could use $1G to better the local community?

Our “$1G For Good” campaign allows individuals or groups to submit entries in the form of essay, video, song, or work of art with the chance of winning a $1,000 donation to their nominated organization or group.

First Generation’s Creative Director, Sara Lorenz, explains, “We wanted to develop a campaign that promotes creative thinking and inspires residents of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon County to become active within their local community. School and community clubs, arts organizations, charities, and non-profits are all eligible to be nominated and are encouraged to participate. Individuals or groups within local companies may also compete in the contest by submitting an entry to nominate a charitable organization, foundation or club.”
In the first phase of the contest, entries received will be judged solely on creativity by First Gen’s award-winning team of designers, videographers, animators, writers and producers. “First Generation is a proud corporate citizen of the Lehigh Valley community and our ‘1G for Good’ contest is a creative way for us to give back,” says Bill Carmody, CEO/Owner of First Generation.

To submit an entry, just create an essay, song, video, or any electronic work of art that tells First Generation why the cause of your choice deserves $1,000. Entries can be submitted at www.1Gforgood.com and are due by July 1, 2011. Finalists’ entries will be announced and posted on www.1Gforgood.com on August 1, 2011 for a month-long voting process, letting the public choose the winner and allowing contestants to promote their entry as they please. The entry receiving the highest number of votes will receive a $1,000 donation to the organization represented in the entry.

For all contest details, please visit www.1Gforgood.com. And please, don’t keep this a secret! Share this contest with your local friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, mailmen, delivery drivers, hair stylists, and exes.

Won’t it feel good to give back?

Last Friday evening, creative professionals gathered at the 2011 Addy Awards gala to recognize the best of the best in Lehigh Valley advertising. The event, hosted by the Lehigh Valley Ad Club and proudly sponsored by First Generation, saw an impressive turnout and showcased a variety of oustanding creative work. Work was awarded throughout categories in print, web, interactive, video, and non-traditional media. First Generation took home a total of 9 awards – gold, silver, and bronze – for our work in 2010 throughout these categories.

“We are incredibly excited to share this success with our clients and are proud to have made such a mark on this year’s ADDY awards, ” remarked Sara Lorenz, Creative Director for First Generation. “First Generation’s recognition at this year’s ADDYs continues a tradition of excellence, and I am proud to be a part of a team that consistently produces such high-caliber work.”

We congratulate all the recipients of the 2011 ADDY awards and thank the Lehigh Valley Ad club for putting together a spectacular event.

Below are First Generation’s winning entries.

GOLD: Crayola Solar Farm video

SILVER: Coordinated Health Art of Medicine TV Program, Olympus SP-800 UZ video

BRONZE: Inky the Inkblot (fginkblot.com), Crayola 2011 Products Catalog, Sprinters Edge website (sprintersedge.com), Crayola On the Go Brochure, First Gen Brain Trust Brochure, Crayola Green Products Ad

FG’s President Alex Shade joins the Board of Trustees at the Touchstone Theater

The Touchstone Theater, located on Bethlehem’s South Side, is the only true ensemble theater group in Lehigh Valley and is dedicated to bringing deep cultural experiences and original productions to the area. Ms. Shade brings her marketing and business management expertise to the board and is happy to help them grow and prosper in their 30th year in the business.

For more info on Touchstone Theater productions, please visit www.touchstone.org.

Inky, the newest addition to the FG team, has more to contribute than just his vast knowledge of viral marketing. Inky’s incredible ability to change form and personality has led him to another passion, and he shines on screen as the star of the short film series What Do You See, created and produced by FG’s talented staff. Our film crew set out during Bethlehem’s popular 9-day festival, Musikfest, to interview real people and see how they responded to Inky. Inky did an amazing job during the many hours of shooting in 90 degree heat, never once faltering in his ability to quickly jump into character and engage festival-goers to answer the question “What do you see?”. Each passerby was instantly drawn to his unique charm and we were able to collect enough footage for 6 short films. Though Inky became a bit demanding during the final stages of editing (he is quite the perfectionist), the team pulled together to successfully finish the process and all were pleased with the results. You can view the first in Inky’s series of short films below. The rest of the films will follow in the upcoming weeks on Inky’s YouTube channel. More information about Inky can be found at FGinkblot.com, as well as on his Facebook and Twitter pages.