Our geniuses are passionate about numerous causes, including food drives, donation collections, and Christmas dog adoption, among the many. Despite the myriad of causes we care about, we take our biggest philanthropic cue from Whitney Houston’s 1985 iconic anthem, “The Greatest Love.” We, too, believe, “the children are our future.”
As such, many of our outreach efforts are anchored around nurturing young artists, and investing in the next generation of potential geniuses. This approach helps us keep our local creative arts community thriving.
It’s a Youth Movement
A focus on the youth serves two purposes for Mad Genius. First, we’re committed to inspiring young artists, helping them grow and refine their craft, which is why our efforts emphasize artistic growth for those coming up in the industry. Whether they work in advertising or not, we truly believe that everyone has the potential to improve both their life and their livelihood when they embrace their creative drives.
Second—and allow us to get a little selfish with you—it’s about Mad Genius laying the groundwork for our future team. After all, every agency needs a steady supply of fresh, slightly rebellious creative types to keep things flowing. For us, helping shape the next generation of local talent isn’t simply goodwill for goodwill’s sake… It’s a strategic investment in our creative ecosystem. Classic two-fer.
High School Tours
One of our more beloved outreach efforts are the agency tours we use to host local high school students with an interest in the arts. We gather a gaggle of bright-eyed, overly excited, and slightly overwhelmed, teenagers, then guide them through the labs. It gives students a first-hand look at the fast-paced life of a creative agency, as well as a glimpse at the creative process that fuels our work.
Students get to see the team in action, gain some insight into different career paths our industry offers, and if we do our jobs correctly, leave inspired. For most students, this is the first time they’re getting a close-up look at a professional creative environment, and we always aspire to make a positive impression. We like to think of it as sort of like “Bring Your Kids to Work Day,” but at the end, we aren’t saddled with the crippling debt and responsibilities of raising them.
Student Shadows
For the students who are a bit more committed to a life in the arts, we offer shadowing. This is like a tour, but when it’s over, the student hangs out with a genius in the profession they’re considering. This offers them one-on-one time with a person who does what they want to do, and lets them get a hands-on experience with the tasks that work involves.
Internships
Internships are something that all agencies do, but the one at Mad Genius isn’t something that’s given out to just anybody. Mad Genius’s internship program is a highly competitive, complete with a jury selection process meant to find the best of the best. We’re looking to give someone real-world experience, so that means we’re pretty picky about who joins the lab.
We aren’t looking for kids to fetch coffee and make copies (although it would be appreciated). Our interns get to work alongside our full-time geniuses on actual client work, contributing to campaigns in whatever department they’ve been assigned to. That could be providing design support, doing some copywriting, or giving a helping hand during production. At the end of a Mad Genius internship, aside from getting a taste of life inside an ad agency, our interns also leave with a nice resume-builder, and some new portfolio pieces. Ideally, the best of the bunch will find their way back to Mad Genius in a more professional capacity.
Portfolio Reviews
In addition to the tours, we work with local colleges and universities to review portfolios for a select group of their creative or performing arts majors. These aren’t your typical reviews–they’re organized through professors who have entrusted us to give their students honest and constructive feedback. Our team isn’t shy about giving these students a realistic taste of what it looks like to present your work to industry professionals, and there’s no sugar-coating. We aren’t out to crush dreams, but if their work, could use some “work,” then it’s our job to tell them. By the same token, if the work is awesome, we aren’t above giving out an “attaboy” or a colorful sticker of their choosing. (They usually want the stickers.)
The biggest advantage of these reviews is giving students a chance to put their work in front of industry veterans already deep in the creative trenches they’re looking to join one day. Our art director helps them identify their strengths, spot areas that need improvement, and ultimately, provide a critical stepping stone in their career. Plus, it’s admittedly a little fun watching them sweat it out during what is an unofficial rite of passage in the industry; getting your work judged.
Leaving a Legacy of Creativity
Mad Genius is looking to inspire the young artists among us. We’d like to give them a running start toward their future, and, if all goes well, pass the torch to a few of them down the road. These efforts are not about showing off the perks of working with one of the best agencies in the south (not totally, anyway)—we’re investing in the very creativity community we’re already a part of. If we can make a couple of friends, (and recruit a few future geniuses) along the way, all the better.
Wanna talk to a genius about an opportunity to help creativity thrive? Use the calendar below and let’s chat.