I forgot how horrendous Friday rush hour traffic can be in Portland. I also forgot how nice drivers were, giving way to pedestrians and actually letting me merge. Once I got into northwest Portland, I walk up and down Raleigh for 5 minutes before my self doubt begins to erupt. Google Maps said I had arrived, but all I saw was a bar, a dog grooming shop, and a factory-type warehouse thing titled “Lane Miles Standish Printing Co.” I decide the factory was probably my best bet, so I walk the length of it until I find a two large glass doors beside a bicycle rack and a black bear holding a sign: NORTH.

I walk up a slight ramp and see an island/bar style kitchen, right in the middle of this open concept floorplan. I’m not sure where to turn.

This man walks towards me in black-framed glasses carrying a medium-sized, white curly dog in his arms.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for,” knowing I was totally going to butcher this, “Ay-shod? Ash-ad?”

“Ashod, yes, I’ll go find him now.”

I look around and see a collection of casually dressed young people chatting around the kitchen with drinks, as if it was just another bar in Portland.

Walking towards me is a tall, dark-haired and cleanly bearded Ashod Simonian, in a long coat and knit sweater, wielding a glass of wine.

“I think we’ve tapped the wine, but we have beer, coffee and tea.”

Not trying to sound over eager and running on two hours of sleep, I played it safe. “Black coffee please.”

He tells me the reason for the kitchen as this central piece at the agency is because of its symbol in homes as a meeting place for conversation. We tour the agency.

There are no walls or cubicles at NORTH, and the architecture is an eclectic mix of old industrial and modernity, complete with wood siding. Skylab Architecture also designed iconic Portland locations such as the Dour Fir Lounge and the Departure Restaurant + Lounge. The flooring is half cemented and half a blend of greens, which I’m told are meant to be topographical. Large windows and high ceilings make the area breathe a sense of openness and light, with an elegant conference room overlooking the space from a half-second floor. The building used to be a newspaper printing company, and was featured in an episode of Portlandia.

My favorite area as we walk is the library. Tall black bookcases house what feels like hundreds of books and artifacts, old and new. In an industry where work is mostly done digitally, Ashod tells me that they try to incorporate as much hands-on, physical creative aspects as possible. Many of the washed-out, natural backgrounds and images NORTH uses are inspired from these books, which range from encyclopedias to fables. A kid maybe nine years-old is tucked between two shelves, most likely waiting for a parent but easily keeping himself amused.

Another interesting aspect is the recording studio, as many of the employees are also musicians and make a lot of the music for ads right there in the agency. Ashod himself played in the band Preston School of Industry, led by Pavement frontman Scott Kannberg. His other experiences include working in the commercial industry in Los Angeles, and publishing his photography book, Real Fun: Polaroids from the Independent Music Landscape.

We eventually circle back to the long table at the beginning and take a seat on the stools. We are surrounded by coffee table books and posters from various print campaigns, from Cliff Bars to healthcare. Every one of them has a significant Oregonian identity.

Then, for over an hour, we talk about advertising.

*Ashod Simonian, via the NORTH people page*

What went into this campaign? Or this one? How do you find a personality for a brand? What defines good copy from great copy? How do you get from point A to point B?

A great case example Ashod references was their work with Yakima roof racks. He was at first skeptical about the project; is there really anything less sexy than roof racks? But, with the right creative force, you can put an interesting spin on any brand.

Yakima wanted to distinguish itself from other roof rack companies who made fairly lackluster advertising, relying the marketing of their products on their attributes, rather than their meaning.

NORTH took roof racks and distilled the fact that if you have roof racks, more belongings can be stored on your roof rather than inside your car, which means you can take more friends on your trips.

Using this phrase “Take More Friends,” NORTH selected a variety of amateur videographers in the area and attached free roof racks to their cars. Then, they paid for the videographers and their friends or families to get out of town for their weekend and explore.

The result was a series of videos that combined roof racks with the Oregonian sense for adventure, showing homemade clips that made the ad feel genuine and poignant What are roof racks without the audacious souls who use them?

Ashod also gave me some sound advice on how aspiring copywriters should prepare and market themselves for the ad industry, notes which I plan to put together in a handbook for students like myself.

Not all of us take the same route to be the creative leaders of our industry, but one thing is apparent. For truly creative individuals, the work doesn’t stop when you get home. We are constantly creating new things. Ashod’s current side project? A perfume company, Imaginary Authors.

copywriter

MY AFTERNOON AT NORTH