Please Feed The Animals

My friends Shawn Webster and Keith Gibson have created an organization called the Red Pencils. First mission: assemble a team of advertising and creative professionals to train for the 2010 Aids Lifecycle Event.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Shawn and Keith about what they’re trying to accomplish with the Red Pencils. It’s further proof that our industry is filled with amazing human beings.

1. What are the Red Pencils?

SW: The Red Pencils is a charity organization that helps fund-raise, organize, and coordinate events for causes that might directly relate to, or resonate with, people in any creative industry.

Our first endeavor is to organize a bicycle team — comprised of advertising professionals from all over the country — to ride in the AIDS Life Cycle event in San Francisco this upcoming June.  Our role is to handle nearly all the fundraising for the riders who join the Red Pencils team.  Everyone who rides in the event is supposed to raise $3000, but we’ll take care of that for them.

With the help of Pereira & O’dell in San Francisco, we’re creating a campaign to raise attention, educate, and ultimately raise money. Of course, we’ll take any help and assistance from anyone who wants to lend a hand. But we are currently batting around some ideas with PO to get this off the ground.

If it’s as successful as we hope, we’ll branch out to scholarships, more events, etc.  We’re excited to see where it goes.

KG: Exactly what Shawn said =)

2. How did you get involved?

KG:I was already signed up for the 2010 AIDS Life Cycle when it hit me how much fun it would be to have a team to ride with. It is an awesome charity and I wanted to raise as much money as possible for them. Naturally I looked inside our industry and realized the potential for a team of advertising people to raise money and awareness. I soon after reached out to Shawn with this “little” idea and it ballooned into this amazing thing.

SW:  Keith called me a few months ago with the idea.  He’s an avid bicyclist and a damn good guy, so it was his passion that drew me in.  What started as an idea to put together a team for shits and giggles has grown into something a little larger.

3. What’s your connection to the AIDS Life Cycle Event? Has the disease affected you or someone you know in a personal way?

KG:I actually had a roommate with AIDS. It was terrible to see the things he had to deal with on a physical and mental level. He’s a super sweet guy who is a testament to survival.

SW: The AIDS Life Cycle Event sounded like a great way to get people involved.  It affects all of us, so to say I’m not affected by this would be wholly naïve.

4. What is your relationship with Pereira O’Dell? How did that come about?

SW: I have worked with James Brown, one of the CDs there, in the past and he contributes on one of my blogs, www.andshakers.com. I knew he was an avid biker and since PO is local to San Francisco, it seemed like something he could get behind.  And he did. They’ve been great, and we are all excited to see what comes of this collaboration.

KG: Shawn totally set that up. Hey gets major brownie points for that! But I also want to commend James Brown. He has been a pleasure to deal with.

5. How many riders per team?

SW: We would be happy with a dozen this first year, but more would be great.  We’ll see how things stack up.  But, there are other ways to get involved.  Being a Roadie, for one, is a great way… especially for non-riders like me.  Remember, Keith is the two-wheeler.

6. Are there a lot of cyclists in advertising?

SW: Since getting involved, I have been surprised at how many there are.

KG: Definitely! There is at least one per agency. Some have “gangs” of them. Cycling is a good sport for you to get away and go into your head. Figures that a lot of creatives flock to it.

7. Are you both big cyclists? How long have you been doing it?

KG: I am becoming a huge bike nerd. I started a couple years ago, but definitely have stepped it up this past year. On top of doing the AIDS Lifecycle, I also plan to start competing at an amateur level this year. I am hooked!

I secretly want to sign Shawn up as a rider so he can get his butt in gear and ride with us.

SW: Um…
8. Advertising tends to get a bum rap. What do the Red Pencils say about people in the business?

SW: That’s one of the first things we spoke about, using this as a platform to show that ad people can do some real good. Obviously ad folk aren’t the swindlers they are perceived to be … the vast majority, at least.  And I can say without a doubt that the people within advertising have brought a great amount of attention to some important causes, no matter the scale. Perhaps Red Pencils can be seen as an extension of that?

KG: Sometimes I tell people what I do and get that look. You know that look.  Hopefully The Red Pencils will bring some much needed good press. EVERYONE who has contacted me is more than generous in offering their time.

Advertising is not a thing you get into to be alone. We naturally band together and I think with something like The Red Pencils you can definitely see that. It’s nice to see a “Team” forming.

9. Are the riders generally employed? Unemployed?

KG: I am Freelance right now and “in between” gigs (which means sometimes unemployed). Everyone else is luckily gainfully employed at the moment. But who knows what the future will bring. Our ideal rider “works” in the industry.

Maybe we will all have some more time for practice

SW: Either.  Non-issue.  We’ll take freelancers and fulltimers alike.  You could fresh out of ad school, or running a shop.

10. Anything else you want to add?

KG:I just want to thank everyone who has helped, reached out and shown support so far. Especially PFTA! This is really just the beginning of something amazing and I can’t wait until Mile 1 on June 6th.

SW: Yeah.  Although this is based in San Francisco, we do ask that people from all over the country consider riding.  (Personally, I live and work in Atlanta).  As of right now, riders will have to find their own way out to San Francisco come this June; but we are hoping to get some sort of travel sponsorship to assist in getting the non-Bay Area folk out there as things continue to grow and move forward.

11. How do people sign up?

KG/SW: If you like to ride, and if you are passionate about doing some good (and having an amazing time),  join the Red Pencils at www.redpencils.org.