REBUS held its inaugural Breakfast Club event last week at Rooster downtown. The attendees were treated to a free breakfast and the special treat that is Strange Donuts. Corey Smale brought the donuts and told us the story of how his passion project, Strange Donuts became the phenomenon it is, in less than a year.
The presentation was informal and felt intimate, in that Corey walked around the attendees and told his story in a casual yet passionate way. You could see and feel how and why Corey has built an almost cult following in a short period of time. The donuts were a sensational “dessert” to Rooster’s superb breakfasts.
As I was talking with Sarah Waters sitting next to me, I realized that March is REBUS’ birthday . . . it’s seventh! I was stunned by that number and how fast time has flown. I like the evolution REBUS has experienced to become what it is now.
Sarah was one of the original Co-chairs of REBUS and very helpful in getting it growing. Sarah and Kendra Gilligan helped create fREBUS, the pro bono arm of REBUS. In the first year, fREBUS was responsible for over $80,000.00 in deliverables to St. Louis non-profits. As a result of issues identified with fREBUS, Sarah and Kendra went on to found ready+willing.
I’m proud of the fact that REBUS has succeeded in influencing hundreds of young advertising professionals (and many veterans as well) and resulted innumerable “first job” offers. REBUS has visited scores of agencies and photographers’ studios and production companies, helping introduce the regions’ most influential players to the new young professionals.
A REBUS (generally without all caps) is a puzzle combining words and pictures to create another word or phrase. The original concept for REBUS was to get newly graduated writers and art directors together so that they could collaborate, with the goal of helping each other build better portfolios. I'm sure you figured out that this rebus says "Free beer for a year". Perfect!
REBUS has provided the opportunity for the ambitious to get involved and improve their skills, while working on real projects. There have been networking opportunities and new relationships developed. I’ve been told more than once that without REBUS, someone would not have met someone or found out about something that ended up influencing their careers and/or personal lives! That's rewarding to hear!
The hard work and god knows how many hours have all been worth it. I’m proud that REBUS has had and continues to have, the relevance and value that it does. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to that effort.
Happy Birthday REBUS!