June 27. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

Finally- after three flights and two car rides we finally arrived in the microscopic town of Bistra, Romania. The 20+ hours of traveling have definitely taken its toll on me. Add the fact that my 6-month old daughter accompanied us on this trip and I’m sure you can see how I achieved a new PR in personal exhaustion. Needless to say it’s difficult to keep a baby occupied for 20 minutes let alone 20+ hours. I certainly don’t think we made any new friends on the plane. I never knew my daughter could cry so loud…

The entire family greeted us when we arrived at the house- after all it has been three years since our last visit. Although I was extremely tired I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enjoy the most common Romanian tradition: drinking alcohol (even if I wanted to pass on the drinking my wife’s father wouldn’t allow it- he is the personification of peer pressure on steroids). After a few shots of an unknown type of alcohol (the majority of their alcohol is homemade) we feasted on a delicious dinner of stuffed red peppers.

The time was nearly midnight before we retired to our bedroom. The long and excruciating journey was finally over. We made it. It’s great to be back and I look forward to two months of taking in an amazing culture. Stay tuned…

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May 3. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

My wife and I have decided to take a little European vacation. When I say “a little” vacation I actually mean a two-and-half month long vacation. The extended break will be thoroughly welcomed although I anticipate our trip will not be all fun and games (well, maybe it will…). We are actually planning a wedding that will take place in late June in Romania. The wedding will be a “traditional” Romanian wedding although I cannot tell you what that really means. I have never attended a traditional Romanian wedding so the anticipation of what will take place is extremely exciting. I think the biggest shock will be the 300+ guests that are planning to attend and I will likely be the only American present (ie the only English-as-a-first-language person) so that should make for some interesting conversations…or not…

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March 24. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

If you are in the advertising industry then it is highly likely that you are familiar with the magazine Media Inc. I wrote an article that appears in the current issue (March 2008). My article discusses the introduction and adaptation of eco-friendly materials into outdoor billboard industry. Below is the article- enjoy!

Billboards: Time For Change

Over the past year eco-friendly products have steadily become the obsession of American businesses and consumers. As we forge ahead into 2008 the concept of sustainability will continue to garner more attention- and rightfully so. Already a wide variety of industries have begun to feel society’s pressure to “go green”. One such industry poised to take its share of the public’s pressure is the outdoor advertising industry.

According to the OAAA there are over 170,000 billboards that stretch across America and nearly all of these boards are printed on polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. Most printers use PVC due to its ability to reproduce vibrant images, immense durability, and most importantly, its low cost. Although PVC has a plethora of notable qualities, it is not without its drawbacks.

Unfortunately PVC is not recyclable and therefore the vast majority of these billboards ending up in landfills across the United States. PVC is also widely regarded as highly toxic to water and soil through leaching once in a landfill, creating an extremely adverse effect on our environment. In an effort to remedy these issues, many substrate manufacturers have been working diligently on an alternate solution.

A new substrate is beginning to emerge within the billboard market - polyethylene (PE). PE is significantly lighter in weight (about one-third the weight of PVC), costs less to produce, plus it’s 100% recyclable. Yes, 100% recyclable. For these reasons, many industry leaders feel that PE will soon be the industry standard.

So why isn’t everyone printing on polyethylene? Probably the biggest factor is the fact that most billboard printers have machines that use solvent inks, which do not adhere well to PE and also off-gas once printing is complete. In order for solvent inks to be used, the PE material must first be coated with chemicals that will allow the solvent to penetrate the substrate. Once this coating is applied nearly all of the recyclable qualities of PE are lost and we are essentially back to where we started.

However there is now a solution. A handful of billboard printers have made the significant monetary investment in machines that utilize UV inks. This state-of-the-art technology applies the ink as a thin layer that sits on the surface of the PE material. The process is then finalized when the machine’s high-powered heat lamps instantly dry the ink and permanently binds it to the substrate. Since the UV ink does not actually penetrate the substrate no chemical coating is needed and thus no solvent is embedded with the material. The combination of UV inks with PE material is by far the “greenest” solution available for outdoor printing.

Societal pressure to “go green” will undoubtedly continue to gain support and momentum in the outdoor industry. Fortunately this pressure has facilitated fresh inventiveness within this market, creating more sustainable printing solutions - polyethylene. There is now a more eco-friendly alternative available. When planning your next billboard campaign a responsible decision now has an environmental solution.

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February 21. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

Today is the four year anniversary of my wife and I being married. I still cannot believe that it has been four years. I can remember the first time I saw her. And to think that now we have a baby girl together. Unbelievable. I feel so lucky to have found such an amazing person to share my life with. She truly is my “better half” and I am forever greatful that she has enter my life…and stayed.

Four years down…forever to go….

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February 18. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

The Slam Dunk Contest during NBA All-Star weekend has always been one of my favorite sporting competitions however over the past several years this event has definitely lost some of its appeal due to lack of creativity. With the exception of a few dunks, the vast majority of dunks have been seemingly regurgitated from previous competitions. Just when you think you’ve seen every possible dunk comes along someone who completely challenges your perception as to what is truly possible. Enter Dwight Howard.

Howard’s “Superman” dunk is already being touted as one of the greatest ever- and who could argue? Just before attempting the dunk, Howard torn off his Orlando Magic Jersey to reveal his alter ego and show his other uniform- a Superman costume complete with cape. The crowd instantly erupted into jubilation and the anticipation for what was about to happen quickly grew.

Howard paraded around the court which further hyped the crowd. The stage was now set. He began running towards the hoop and firmly planted his two feet before launching himself into the air. Howard’s sidekick, teammate Jameer Nelson, threw a lob pass that perfectly coincided with Howard’s jump. He grabbed the ball in mid-flight while soaring through the air- his head high above the rim. Gravity was truly being challenged during this incredible display of athleticism. Simply incredible!

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February 15. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

This past Monday and Tuesday I was in Chicago for business meetings. Although the vast majority of my trip consisted of sit-downs with the largest advertising agencies in America, I did carve out some time to sample some of the most famous pizza in the world- Chicago style!

Two days, two pizza restaurants. I couldn’t get enough! The two world famous pizza parlor that I visited were Giordano’s and Pizzeria Uno. Although both were mouth-wateringly delicious, there was definitely a clear winner: Giordano’s.

If you ever have plans to visit downtown Chicago then you must visit Giordano’s. You can thank me later.

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February 7. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

Everyone experiences high stress at some point in their life. Often times stress stems from work or personal life. Generally speaking I have no problem coping with stressful situations; in fact, I am often at my best while amidst heavy stress.

However, over the past few months I’ve had to endure an extremely high amount of stress. As Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a multi-million dollar company I naturally have to deal with a variety of stresses that most people would never even think about. I understood this prior to accepting the position so I am able to relatively smoothly handle any work-related obstacles that comes my way.

Obviously my career causes me plenty of stress, however it doesn’t end there. A month ago my wife and I had our first child. Welcome to the world of ZERO sleep. Have you ever tried to function at a high level mentally with minimal sleep? Saying it’s “challenging” would be a severe understatement.

I’ve open a new chapter in my life. I have taken on an extremely challenging job while bearing the responsibly of adding a new member to my family. Quite the balancing act, huh? But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m learning so much about myself and my own limitation and, over these past few months, I’ve noticed that I am able to accomplish much more then I thought I could. I guess the cliche is true: “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”…and I feel like Hercules…

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February 5. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

Traveling has always been a passion of mine. While in college, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to live in Italy for over three months. During this time I enjoyed many adventures and accumulated numerous unforgettable experiences- many were certainly not accessible to the common tourist.

My apartment was located in Rome but I traveled extensively throughout the entire country. I became intimately knowledgeable about the city of Rome due to befriending a few Romans early into my adventure. They took me under their wing and personally guided me through the Eternal City while introducing me to sights and sounds that only locals would know.

Socializing is the glue of the Roman society so it’s no wonder that many evenings were spent out on the town amongst friends. One such night we ventured to a “hidden” nightclub. After navigating through a series of alleyways near the Campo de Fiori in downtown Rome we finally came to a single door. There were no markings to indicate this building was a club- or anything for that matter. At first glance it appeared to be an abandoned building. As I stood in the background, my Roman friends approach the door and knocked. Within a few seconds the door opened and we entered.

Wow! I couldn’t believe my eyes. Before me was a seemingly endless sea of people. Everyone was dancing, drinking and having the time of their lives. Describing this marvelous evening would simply take took long. Needless to say, we had an incredible night. This was certainly not a place that was accessible to tourists.

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February 4. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

Well, well, well. All those cocky New England fans are finally mute since their Pats were unthinkably defeated by the New York Giants on Sunday night. Too bad for the Patriots as the stage was set for them to become the unanimous selection for greatest football team of all time after coasting through the entire regular season. After all, they had strung together 18 impressive wins in a row. They need just one more with to achieve perfection, however the Giants had other plans as they stunned the Patriots - and the world - with a 17-14 victory and ruined the Pats quest for perfection.

At the center of this unimaginable upset was a single offensive play by the Giants that may go down in the history books as the “best catch ever”. It has already being referred to simply as “the play”. If you watch the game last night then you know exactly what I’m taking about. With time running down in the 4th quarter, Giants QB Eli Manning narrowly avoided a seemingly inevitable sack. He spun away from the Patriot defenders and wound up to launch the ball as far as his arm would allow. The ball drifted down the field with ease. Manning’s wide receiver, David Tyree, leapt into the air making an unthinkable catch as he trapped the ball again his helmet with one hand! Yes, he caught the ball with one hand and his helmet! The pass was completed for 32 yard and set up the game-winning touchdown. Simply amazing!

Super Bowl XLII seemed to have it all: the clear favorite in the Patriots, an unassuming underdog in Giants and all the suspense you could handle. In the end, the night belonged to the Giants as they completed arguably the biggest upset in Super Bowl history. So, was it the best Super Bowl ever? My vote is an emphatic “YES!”

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February 1. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

Art has alway been a major part of my life. Above are three pieces of my own art (you’ll have to excuse the glare on the pictures- I was too lazy to take the art out of their frames). The first is a pencil drawing I did of my wife for her birthday. The second is a self-portrait created using charcoal. The third is- you guessed it- Disney’s Sleeping Beauty that I made with colored pencils. Even as a small child I can remember drawing nearly every day. When I was in 6th grade I won an art contest to design our school yearbook (I drew a growling husky- our mascot). I’m not sure where I derived my passion for art. Neither of my parent have an ounce of artistic ability (they were both incredible athletes) although they have always been extremely supportive. I suppose they should get their share of credit for allowing me to develop my talent.

When I was in high school I began to take are more seriously although my true passion didn’t fully blossom until I began taking art classes at the University of Washington. All of a sudden I was surrounded by other artists who take their craft very seriously- maybe some too seriously. I have never been overly complex when it came to creating my art. I would draw a picture and, for the most part, what you see is what you get- there was no hidden, deeper meaning. I was completely astonished when I would hear my fellow art students speak about their work. If you’ve ever taken a college art class you know what I’m talking about. I think people just make things up as they talk. I mean really- if you could have heard some of my “peers” describe their artwork you would want to instantly commit them to a mental house. I guess that makes you “good artist”.

In the end, it’s all about the art. Although I have not been creating artwork as often as I would like- when I do it’s extremely relaxing. The feeling of “escaping reality” and being lost in your own creativity is very refreshing and invigorating. Not only do I get to administer my own form of self-solace but, in the end, I have a finished piece of artwork that I can be proud of. I think this is where my passion for art is fostered. And it is this same reason that I will continue to create art for a long as I live.

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