Web Portfolio

Matt White Portfolio

Contents Resume

Creative Communications Samples

Creative Writing Sample

Professional Writing Sample

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Resume

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Matt White [email protected]

OBJECTIVE

To obtain a full time position within the communications industry that utilizes advertising skills

EDUCATION

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Communications Bachelor of Science Degree in Advertising

EXPERIENCE

SGDP Communications Design Firm Account Team Intern

May 2009 Chicago, IL Summer 2006/Summer 2007

Worked closely with the account executive in charge of Allstate providing input on client meetings, creative briefings, brainstorming sessions, and logistics Created several competitive research projects including a competitive analysis database used in a presentation to the company's biggest client Allstate Insurance Visited and evaluated different insurance agencies, financial companies, and a number of other businesses, and collected, compiled, and completed analysis on each piece Champaign, IL 2007-Present

WPGU 107.1 FM Promotions Team Manager

In charge of planning and managing remotes set up to promote the radio station on location in the local area Responsible for brainstorming ideas for new street team events and creative ways to promote the radio station as well as the implementation of these ideas Champaign, IL 2008

University of Illinois Main Library Service Desk Responsible for letting people into the library, assisting patrons with questions, and the retrieval of books from the main stacks LEADERSHIP

Theta Xi Fraternity Executive Board Member: Scholarship Chair

Winter 2005 - 2007

Responsible for the week to week decision making of the chapter, for over 100 members In charge of maintaining the chapter's G.P.A. as well as working with members who are on academic probation to develop a detailed plan geared towards achieving scholastic expectations Improved the chapter's collective G.P.A. as well the fraternities overall academic ranking from 22 to 6 th out of 44 American Advertising Federation

2005-Present

Member of the Nation Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) team in which colleges from around the country compete to create the best advertising campaign for a corporate sponsor Participated in the Public Relations team within the competitive entry NSAC class in 2006 where PR was organized throughout 10 cities including media placement, press releases, and creating buzz Part of the Promotions team for the class in 2007 responsible for creating, budgeting, and implementing all promotions for the sponsor (Coca-Cola) SKILLS Computer: Microsoft Office, Photoshop, InDesign

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Creative Communications Samples

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Creative Writing Sample

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Soleil Levant Matt White The brushstrokes of the greatest impressionist of all time flowed effortlessly onto the canvas. The picture in Antoine's head resonated throughout his entire body as his hand carried out the task; with no less the same passion he could only assume the master had had when he created it. This was by no means his first time recreating a legendary piece of art, but he found himself deriving more pleasure from this particular work than any of the others. The recreating was undoubtedly the most satisfying part of the shrewd little game he had played so many times before, but the culmination of all the parts was the real payoff. Despite all this, Antoine could not fight this lingering feeling that something was amiss. The recreation had gone swimmingly thus far and yet the feeling remained. Antoine left his studio to draw some final bits of inspiration from the works around his magnificently appointed, baroque inspired estate. As he perused the main floor, the influences of his parents still took precedence over the minor changes he had made since inheriting the home. While the first floor represented the history of his family as well as the tact and refinement a man of his status strives to maintain, it was not where he desired to be before he added his final touches. Antoine made his way up the right side of the double staircase in the main foyer as he always did. It had become second nature to use the stairs towards the east for ascending and the ones touching the west for descending. The thought of rising in the east and setting in the west appealed to him in an agreeable way, as well as justified the very existence of the two sets of stairs that drew a line of symmetry down the entrance of the house.

Antoine had often wondered if the slight elevation of his heart rate upon reaching the 9

top of the stairs could be attributed to the climb itself, or the feeling of contentment he continually experienced as he got closer to his "souvenirs." Very few people had had the pleasure of being invited to the second floor of Antoine's home. The occasional repair men or contractors that inevitably would need access to the entire home were of no worry to him. The chances that these men could spot a classic piece of art were minuscule, let alone identify a masterpiece that should be hanging in a museum or private collection. The only real source of worry was who he took as a lover. Most of the women he did not know very well, but he made sure to gage their artistic awareness before bringing them through his sanctuary. The thought had crossed his mind of what he would say should one of them start asking questions about a piece. About how a world famous Degas is hanging in his hallway when it also resides in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "This piece?" he would say questioningly. "Oh I had a commissioned several years back. It's actually quite a crude representation of the real work. The brushstrokes are much too short and the colors are atrociously abrupt. But I do enjoy being surrounded by my absolute favorite works, even if they aren't real." That moment had never come, and as long as Antoine remained as vigilant and meticulously careful as he had in the past, he was sure that his life would remain as it had for the past 20 years. His collection of art was undoubtedly one of the most impressive in the world, and yet he was the only one who actually knew about it. As he strolled down the corridors he passed all of his works starting with the Degas. It was the first truly significant piece he had stolen and it held a special place in his collection. He had labored over the recreation (as he liked to think of it) for 10

so long that he began to become frustrated and stressed towards the end. After the success he obtained in pulling it all off, he was much more subdued with each of the following works that he recreated; and then ultimately switched for the real paintings. The physical act of recreating the paintings had become his favorite part in the process for each one of "his masterpieces." Not the work itself, but the grand scheme of what he was doing. The recreation, the switch, the getaway; and yet there was no pleasure greater than knowing that it was his work was on display all over the world. People flocked to museums and paid ridiculous sums of money to see or to own something that he had in fact created. Tour guides explained the intricacies and significances of these artists and their pieces, paintings that were in fact his own. Antoine relished every opportunity he got to return to the scene of each crime and walk by the spot where his paintings hung, in disguise, in front of the whole world. The thrill of it all was so invigorating it only fueled his desire to continue his "work." As he progressed through the top floor of his house there was confidence in his walk that was so subtle, he himself couldn't notice there was doing anything different in his step. He passed his Max Lieberman and recalled how shockingly easy it was to obtain. His father's love for impressionism had passed seamlessly to him. So much so that it became his specialty. These were the only works worth stealing he thought to himself as he stopped to admire the Re noir that belonged in the Art Institute of Chicago. Antoine had a piece from every one of the most significant impressionists in history: Renoir, Pissarro, Cézanne (before he broke away from impressionism). In addition, a remarkable Édouard Manet, although he did regard himself as an impressionist, history has labeled him one.

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Antoine returned to his studio to put the final touches on what would become the crown jewel of his collection, Monet's "Impression, Sunrise." It would be the most bold and recognizable piece he had ever even considered stealing. As well as the first one he would attempt to steal at his new job. As he sat down in front of his work he could not help but admire the sun. It's luminescence was almost exactly the same as that of the sky, just as Monet had painted it. Antoine had the utmost respect for Monet above all others. In the process of trying to recreate his work, the kind of Genius that was Claude Monet was clearly present. His use of complementary colors and color temperature to differentiate the sun from the sky was a feat few could truly comprehend. Rather than creating changes in intensity and contrast of values, Monet was able to encapsulate the essence of a sunrise on a 48 x 63 cm piece of canvas. The painting was complete, a perfect recreation of a priceless piece of history; the work of art that gave name to Impressionism. Antoine had nothing left but to sign and date the piece just as Monet had done. As he put the final touches on Monet's signature, the phone rang. Antoine calmly finished his work and then went to check to see who had called. There was message from his boss, the museum curator. "Hello Antoine, it's Edmond. I just wanted to remind you to be here an hour earlier than usual. The secret service has a few things to go over with the museum staff. I don't have to tell you what a big day tomorrow is, good night." As Antoine took one final look at the piece to make sure it was up to his standards, he took a step back to admire the sunrise. Although it was he who had painted it, the work of Monet stared back at him. Ignoring everything else, Antoine's gaze focused on the sun and the surrounding sky. Its beauty was overwhelming in a sense and the thought of denying it to the public seemed reprehensible. The commonality of thievery was a blunt and malicious craft.

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But what he did was a form of creation, a form a rebirth as he thought of it. The true scope of his work would probably never be fully understood, but everything failed in comparison to the sunrise at that moment. Antoine arrived at the museum slightly earlier than necessary. Edmond's car was already parked in his assigned spot, the best one in the lot. (Antoine had the second best.) Antoine had always been an admirer of fine architecture and the Louvre was a true spectacle. Some of the novelty had worn off after working there for over a year, but the building still impressed him every time he arrived. In his past, making the switch of his work for the original was done in a variety of different ways. As an art conservationist, he found himself up close and with intimate contact with famous works of art consistently throughout his career. As a younger man, he worked with an auction house maintaining care of the paintings before they went up, coordinating and overseeing delivery, as well as consulting on display conditions in private homes as well as museums. As a trusted employee with unrestricted access to the paintings, it is just a matter of gauging the situation and his surroundings, as well as waiting for the optimal moment. As his career progressed, he found himself working in world renowned museums in the art conservation department where he could continue his work on a bigger scale. Security at these places was much tighter but as Antoine's reputation for excellence in his field grew, so did his knowledge of how to work each system. He had often wondered what his father would think of what he was doing with the knowledge he had passed down to him. The only person who could forge a painting better than himself had been dead for more than two decades. His father did what he did with a sense of

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nobility and integrity in spite of its illegality. Of course he was very proud of his work, but his didn't get off on it the way that Antoine did. As Antoine approached his entrance, he was stopped by a member of the secret service. It was no coincidence that he planned to switch the two paintings on this day. In fact, when he was informed several months earlier that Ronald Reagan would be making a visit during his trip to France it all seemed too perfect. This would not be the first time an important foreign dignitary disrupted the day to day proceedings of The Louvre. As in these cases, security was beefed up all over the area with extra personnel, but these were not Louvre security guards; their sole purpose was the protection of The President of the United States, and so the somewhat unorthodox proceedings of a high level Louvre employee would go unnoticed on this day. The guard searched Antoine from top to bottom; he even had him open the long tube containing the forgery. When he found no sticks of dynamite within it, Antoine was allowed to pass. No one had a more delightful walk to their office than Antoine. Normally, he found himself talking the long route to his office to take in his surroundings as he started his morning, but today he took the direct route. As he passed people in the corridors, his heart began beat wildly, yet his palms remained dry. The only thing noticeably different about him was the half cocked smile painted on his face. Not unlike the one that DaVinci had painted that was hanging in the main wing.

ANTOINE LESSARD HEAD OF ART CONSERVATIONISM

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The door to his office was slightly ajar and Antoine was not surprised to see Edmond sitting in his office. "Been waiting long?" Antoine said. "Only a minute or two, I knew you would be here early." Edmond arose from his seat and waited politely as Antoine removed his coat and set his belongings down. "Now, let's go over the schedule briefly to get everything straight. In 15 minutes, you, the rest of the department heads, and myself are to meet with Agent Barnett and then report back to everyone within our respective departments. The president will be here around noon at which time I will be escorting him around. As usual, I need you to oversee the transportation of the Monet to the lab and prep it for travel." Edmond sighed in relief as he got it all out. His level of stress was extremely high today as he was much more mechanical than he usually was. "I can't believe this is all for today, why on Earth did you schedule the transport for this day?" Antoine knew this was not a real question, just his boss trying to emphasize the level of anxiety that was plaguing him. "It's all going to be fine, I'll take care of everything. You just do your best to remember the names of each piece you show the president." "They're all labeled with the artist's name and any relevant information," Edmond replied sardonically. "Excellent, then you have nothing to worry about." Antoine smiled as the two men made their way to the door for their meeting. Works of art that were on loan or touring museums had very strict protocols and heavy security. But the one place where there was always some leeway was the conservation lab. Outside personnel were not allowed in and, on this day, the guard that was usually stationed

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there had been temporarily reassigned to heighten security around the museum. It truly was as easy as knowing the system and knowing how to work it. And with the amount of trust and responsibility that came with his job, so did a level of freedom that allowed him to switch the two paintings in privacy. He worked quickly and carefully, though this was unlike the first encounter he had had with the painting upon its arrival. Three months earlier when the painting had arrived, Antoine had spent the entire evening with it. He took his time to study every aspect of the painting down to the minute details. Especially around the edges of the painting; these were everything when it came to a forgery and yet they are the one part of a painting that the majority of the world would never see. Antoine could see the painting all he wanted for inspiration while it hung in the museum but he only had a limited amount of time when he could see the edges. In no time at all, the switch was done. The real painting lied discreetly against a wall in plain sight, reminiscent of something from a Sherlock Holmes novel. Antoine busied himself with some other work as he awaited Edmond, who wanted to see the painting off as he usually did. "Did everything go smoothly?" Antoine asked as Edmond entered the room. "I could have showed that man finger paintings and he would have been impressed." The two men shared a laugh that was only intensified as the guards that accompanied Edmond weren't quite sure if it would be appropriate for them to join in. "Well, shall we take one last look?" Antoine was a taken aback. He had already prepped the painting for transport and sealed it up. Edmond undoubtedly knew it would take a bit of work to reopen it but the fact that he

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requested it let Antoine know he wanted it done. Antoine undid the locks on the front of the metal case to expose the front of the painting and then lifted off the protective plexiglass cover. The two men stared at the painting one with admiration and the other one with horror. Antoine felt his stomach curdle as he fully took the painting in unlike he had ever done before. In this light it was obvious to him this would not pass for a Monet. It was the sunrise, it was perfect. The colors, the reflections, the sky it captivated the senses but the water shown at the bottom seemed a tad lackluster; unlike the work he was accustomed to doing. It took the sum of his strengths to restrain the trepidation for what he was looking at. "I've noticed you admiring this painting Antoine. And I don't blame you; it is perhaps the greatest of all his achievements. It's a shame to see it go." Antoine cursed himself silently as well as that sunrise; that striking globe of orange dead center in the work. How he had labored over getting it exactly right, and the pleasure he took in admiring his finished work. "I have to admit though it loses some of its splendor to see it here on this table and not hanging next to its brethren." Edmond's statement sent Antoine into shock. He could tell. He was on the verge of making the discovery that would end him. "Well, shall we get on with it then?" Antoine reached for the covering only to have Edmond hold up his hand motioning for restraint. Antoine's mind emptied as his whole body filled with dread. It was his entire fault, his careless mistake, and all with Monet's brilliance sitting ten feet away from this abomination.

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"All right." Edmond set his hand at his side and Antoine began prepping the painting once again. His inner turmoil made oblivious to the people around him. Upon arriving home, Antoine went straight to his sitting room and fixed himself a drink. Before long he found himself ascending the east staircase. The excitement that normally overwhelmed him in this situation was instead replaced by a feeling of apprehension Antoine never thought he would feel in his own home. As he approached each one of his "masterpieces" Antoine instead found the works staring back at him. Each one he passed glared disapprovingly at him in a way that haunted him to the core of his being. As he finished his lap, he stood in front of the Degas that he cherished so much. The longer he looked at it, the more of himself he could see, until he could look no longer. He reached out and retrieved the painting off the wall and set it on the ground, as he did with every other painting. The sun had just finished setting as he made his way onto the balcony overlooking the back of the estate. He sat quietly in the dark, waiting for sunrise.

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Writing Sample

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Matthew D. White Situational Public Relations: The Dell Battery Recall The case at hand deals with Dell, the world's largest PC maker. In August of 2006, the company announced that it would be recalling 4.1 million notebook computer batteries. "The lithium-ion batteries were made by Sony and were installed in notebooks sold from April 2004 to July 18 of [2006]." (HERALD TRIBUNE) The reasoning behind the recall stemmed from an overheating problem with the batteries that posed a potential fire hazard. (CPSC) This potential fire hazard, for batteries of this type, had been an issue in the past prompting more limited recalls. But as the result of a number of relevant fires at the time involving notebook computers (some aboard planes), Dell was forced to issue, as the Consumer Product Safety Commission called it, "the largest safety recall in the history of the consumer electronics industry." (HERALD TRIBUNE) Dell reported 6 incidents to the safety commission in which notebooks were documented catching fire as a result of the problem, but a former Dell technician, Robert Day, claimed that damage of this sort was more common than Dell was letting on. He also produced photos of almost 100 melted notebooks, computers that were returned to the company between 2002 and 2004, to the press. (HERALD TRIBUNE) Dell reported that the problems were the result of a manufacturing defect in the lithiumion batteries made by Sony. As the problem was on Sony's side, a company that has sold its batteries to most of the major computer makers, the problem was not unique to Dell. (HERALD TRIBUNE) At least 6 major PC makers were forced to issue recalls totaling over 7 million batteries. (BUSINESS WEEK) In their effort to recall and replace the defective batteries, "Dell said it would notify affected customers by mail and online, or through corporate sales

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representatives, and arrange to send a replacement battery. In the meantime, it advised owners to remove the original battery and use a power cord." (HERALD TRIBUNE) Media coverage of this particular situation handled a number a different issues as they related to the story. Perhaps the most significant and intriguing point that was constantly stressed by the media were the specific cases in which computers caught fire. A well publicized situation in which a computer burst into flames in a hotel in Osaka, Japan during a conference seemed to be the jumping off point for the media. (HERALD TRIBUNE) "That same month, a Dell notebook in the cab of a pickup parked alongside Lake Mead in Nevada caught fire, igniting ammunition in the glove box and then the gas tanks. The truck exploded. 'A few minutes later and we'd have been coming up out of the canyon when the notebook blew up,' said Thomas Forqueran, owner of the computer and truck. 'Somebody is going to wind up getting killed.'" (HERALD TRIBUNE) This quote is systematic of another way in which the media covered this story by focusing on people. The vast numbers of how many people were affected by this defective situation made it another angle covered by the media. While Dell reported in their lead-up investigation that 6 defective batteries were involved in incidents of catching fire, millions were recalled because of the possible defect, so millions of people were affected. Casey McArdle, a college professor from Fort Wayne, Indiana was upset to find out that it would take 20 business days for him to receive his replacement battery. "Do I really think the thing is going to explode on me?" says McArdle. "No. But when I live and work with my computer, I have to take the necessary precautions." (TIME) The importance of mobility in business is ever increasing as "the recall was also damaging to businesses whose employees are dependent on laptop computers to do

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their jobs."(COMPUTER WEEKLY) This media focus on how the recall affects real people is significant and relevant as newsreaders found it possible to be more informed about the situation and the implications that it could possibly have for them. Implications for most people affected by the recall were along the lines of a temporary inconvenience. For the companies involved, the situation was as serious as gets. Media focus on this area of the story helped to put the spotlight on the incident's affect on the companies themselves. "The battery problem is the latest setback for Dell, long a highflier on Wall Street. Faced with stiffer competition that has forced price cuts, it has reported lower-than-expected sales and earnings over the last year, sending its stock down more than 40 percent." (HERALD TRIBUNE) Dell emerges from this whole situation still in one piece but that is not to say that the company came out unscathed. As a result of the recall, IT buyers' purchasing decisions in the months after the incident were affected. "A survey by market research firm IDC has found of 500 corporate IT decisionmakers surveyed, 15 percent said the recall would alter the brand of laptops they planned to buy. Respondents didn't clarify which brands they were most likely to stray from" but Dell and Sony were most likely to be on top of the list of companies not to buy from. (VARBUSINESS) Sony was hit especially hard in the coverage. It is clear in any relevant article how the situation arose. Dell is portrayed as picking up the pieces as Sony was the cause of the prolem. The brunt of the financial hit was taken by Sony as an estimated 410 million dollars was taken to replace the potentially dangerous batteries. (VARBUSINESS) Dell, admittedly, took a big hit as competing companies probably improved their competitive situation over Dell, but things could

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have been a lot worse. (VARBUSINESS) Dell was able to handle the situation and survive this massive "PR Nightmare." Despite the negative backlash that is unavoidable with "the largest safety recall in the history of the consumer electronics industry," Dell was able to handle the situation in an effective and satisfying way for those involved; first by doing what was necessary to rectify what they had done wrong. An investigation towards the cause of the problems took place on behalf of Dell which lead them to problem with Sony's batteries. '"We take any incident like that extremely seriously," Dell spokesman Ira Williams says of the Osaka incident. Williams says that Dell's investigation had begun before the incident, and additional data contributed to the recall decision." (TIME) Addressing their customers as well as the media, Dell made sure to inform and not confuse the public by stating the problem in its entirety clearly and effectively. As well as giving those affected the proper information as to how they can and when they can receive their replacement batteries. The corrective action taken by Dell also was handled properly. In conjunction with Sony, the companies isolated the problem and made promises that this was an isolated incident and that the problem had been rectified. Technology and PC industry analysts consider the re call to have been handled well; pointing to "Dell's buoyant stock price as an indicator of public support; As well as the easy-to-use website as an example of how Dell is 'setting a standard for how things should work during a recall.'" (TIME) As a final act of rectification, Dell made sure, at great expense to themselves, that restitution for those effected took place as they were given replacement batteries.

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The recall itself could have been Dell's voluntary response to the well-publicized laptop fire that occurred in Osaka. Hit by bad publicity that could damage consumer sales, Dell took this opportunity to reach out to its customers as part of a long-term strategy to regain the trust of consumers. (TIME) It would seem that Dell said and did all the right things in order to appease the public and the media. After all, the problem was not with their manufacturing processes but that of Sony. Perhaps it would have been wise to distance themselves from Sony in the wake of this problematic situation. People who received a defective battery from Dell via Sony, may not be too keen on the idea of receiving a replacement battery that was also made by Sony. Disassociating themselves from Sony may have helped to minimize the scrutiny they were under (whilst increasing the problems for Sony though). The areas where Dell could have handled the situation better are the areas of concern and apologies. Apologizing for a problem that isn't directly your fault is not an easy thing to do, and Dell did a poor job of apologizing to its customers, they still are responsible for the product that they put out and hence should be held accountable for the mistakes of their suppliers. Publicly making this clear may have helped in their efforts to do "damage control." The other area that could have been a lot better was the concern they had for their customers. Dell put a potentially dangerous product out into the lives and homes of its customers. While the chances of anything bad to happen were miniscule, there was real danger; even possibly life-threatening danger as some accounts tell. In their effort to rectify the problem quickly and efficiently, Dell missed an opportunity to show a softer more compassionate side to their company by expressing concern. Rather they just stated that "under rare conditions, it is possible for these batteries to overheat, which could pose a risk of fire." (DELL) Regardless, the company was faced with the unenviable task of organizing a mass recall and despite everything, they emerged from it strong.

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