The first video in the series posted June 16, introducing Thoughts That Count and giving a quick rundown of what readers would find in the June issue of Gifts and Decorative Accessories, which had just gone to print that week.
Cammie Collier, art director, discussed the team’s first original photoshoot for the cover of the magazine, Anne-Marie Earl, managing editor, gave us all tips on great hostess gifts and Brianna Glenn, assistant editor, reminisced about her interview with a former Vogue model who now designs pet accessories.
It’s been a long time coming, but Gifts and Decorative Accessories is finally on camera and in the spotlight! The creative team announced today their new weekly blog, GiftRap, in which each member chats about that latest product they’ve been crushing on, as well as a new biweekly video series, Thoughts That Count, in which the team discusses the latest products they’ve seen on the market, plus a behind-the-scenes look at their latest ongoings as well as other gift news.
“At my old marketing job, working with the video production crew was always my favorite creative project,” said Lenise Willis, editor in chief. “From day one at GDA, I knew that I wanted to add more multimedia projects to the mix. For one, I think video is just so much more engaging, especially for an online audience, plus it allows our team to give more personal context to the gift industry as a whole.”
“I also just love our team -we work so well together and have so much fun together that it would be a shame not to share that dynamic with our readership,” Willis added.
In the second video, A Few Favorite Things: Trade shows, Tobacco Candles and Colanders, the team gives a rundown of the latest product they’ve been using and loving, including a tobacco-scented candle by Southern Elegance and a colander by Squish. “It’s great for my daughter, for her pasta,” said Anne-Marie Earl about the collapsible colander that both saves space in her cabinet and is the perfect size for her two-year-old daughter’s lunch.
“It was such a great and fun experience filming our first two videos,” Willis said. “We’re still working out a few nerves and kinks, but I know it’s only going to keep getting better.”
GiftRap, the team’s new collaborative blog post is a quick, fun rundown of products that each member has been using that week. “Brianna came up with the name GiftRap, which I loved!” Willis said. “It was a witty play on the words Gift Wrap, but also hints at our chatty rundown of products. Of course, I also felt like with a name like that, we needed a rhyme to start off the blog.”
“It was certainly my first take at writing a poem,” Willis laughed. “It’s pretty silly -I’m no poet, for sure -but I think it captures our fun spirit, just the same.”
You can catch the new blog post each Friday and the new video series every other Friday. The next video is slated to publish July 14, so don’t miss it!
“I think readers are really going to enjoy our videos and blog -and just getting to know us better in general,” Willis said. “And I can’t wait to see what our team will come out with next.”
