Calling All Interns!

It’s been a busy few weeks here at Zag and it does not seem to be slowing down! One of the things that is keeping our staff busy is the preparation (and interviewing) of new interns for the fall semester. If you are interested in an internship with Zag IMC, either as an Account Executive, Graphic Designer, Copywriter or Webmaster, please email your resume to Zag IMC. Resumes will be accepted until  Wednesday July 28, 2010.

Signing Off

Working at Zag IMC (and GCG Marketing) for the past two semesters has been an incredible and exciting opportunity. After hopping around from various internships and freelance jobs because of the bad economy, I was more than happy to settle in and call Zag home.

Since we are a smaller agency, I was allowed to take on more tasks and was more than “just another designer”. I think this is the element that helps Zag and GCG be successful in all of their endeavors.

Since day one, everyone at Zag and GCG welcomed me with such sincere warmth and kindness, something that I will forever be grateful for.

Looking back, I loved being held responsible for multiple projects during my time, as well as the opportunity to be included in so many client meetings. My time here has allowed me to work with so many different clients and various projects, allowing me to feel well prepared for my next job.

While I am sad to leave Zag and GCG Marketing, I look forward to the wonderful opportunities ahead of me in Colorado.

What’s in a name?

Recently I read an article about how some big-name companies came up with those names. Did you know that IKEA is simply the first two letters of founder Ingvar Kamprad’s name plus the first two letters of his hometown?

What about Yahoo!? Well, Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels actually coined the term to represent a filthy, repulsive creature similar to a human (think Neanderthal). Turns out, the founders of Yahoo! considered themselves yahoos and decided the name fit the company as well.

Interestingly, the name Volkswagen, which means “people’s car” comes from one of Adolf Hitler’s initiatives to provide cars for the masses, a state-sponsored program called “Volkswagen.” Hitler wanted to create an affordable car that could transport German families along another one of his state-sponsored programs, the Autobahn.

Reading about how companies selected their monikers got me wondering about how Zag was named. So, I set out to do a little investigative digging on how the name was derived. It turns out the name “Zag” came about as a way to describe how we at Zag do business. Our motto is, “When others zig, we zag.” Thus, put quite simply, Zag represents the idea that we as a company strive to think outside of the box, to create things that are different from what one expects and get off the beaten path. Zag came about as the brainchild of Director Kelsey and GCG President Neil and it seems to me that after more than a year in business, it is a pretty accurate name.

Check out the article to read rest of the stories about how big-name companies selected their monikers here: How 16 Great Companies Picked Their Unique Names

Funky Town Fun

My name is Julie and I recently graduated from TCU with a degree in advertising/public relations with minors in business and Spanish.

Unlike many of my friends and fellow graduates, I am not backpacking through Europe, vacationing in Australia or studying Spanish in a South American country.  I am in Fort Worth.  And while I do love the “Fort,” I find myself embarrassingly jealous of the many adventures that I’m not on.  So instead of shamelessly trying to live vicariously through my friends by constantly stalking their newest Facebook albums, I decided to use their travels as inspiration to find fun and exciting things to do here in Fort Worth.

1. Stars under the Stars:
Sundance Square’s outdoor movie series called “Stars under the Stars” is the perfect date night activity or just a fun get-together for friends.  You can bring blankets or chairs and it’s free!  Unfortunately, today’s July 1 showing of Star Trek will be the last until next year, so while I’m so excited to go, my only regret is that I didn’t find out about this sooner.

2. Concerts in the Garden Summer Music Festival:
Called “Fort Worth’s best seasonal outing,” Concerts in the Garden features a wide variety of music at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.  So break out your picnic basket and gather up all your friends to come enjoy music under the stars.  Concerts run through July 5 and performances begin at 8 p.m., but the gates open at 6:30 and all performances end with a fireworks display!

3. Adonis Rose at Scat Jazz Lounge:
If you’re like me and you didn’t get your fill of Bourbon Street this past Mardi Gras, you may be as excited as I am about New Orleans Nights with Adonis Rose.  The New Orleans native, who now resides in Fort Worth, performs with his Krewe of Swing to bring you a taste of “N’awlins” every Wednesday at the Scat Jazz Lounge.

4. The Kimball Art Museum:
While not as massive as the Louvre, the Kimball is one of the finest museums in the world as it houses a noteworthy collection of artwork and regularly hosts traveling art exhibitions.  Right now, Michelangelo’s first known painting, “The Torment of Saint Anthony,” is now on display in the permanent collection.  People travel from all over to visit this museum, so it would be crazy for me not to enjoy this amazing exhibit located right around the corner.

5. Omni IMAX Theater:
Located inside the Museum of Science and History, the old-fashioned IMAX dome is one of the largest in the US. And a plus for all you Shark Week fans out there, from June 30 – August 31, the theatre is showing Sharks, Up Close and Personal.