The Oscars are a big deal at W+K NY. (Well, anything that allows us to gamble legally is actually quite a big deal.)  Our office-wide pool proves once and for all that we’re suckers for pencil mustaches and that hate Meryl Streep – “overrated.”  If you fell asleep during Billy’s opening monologue and didn’t see the final winners, here’s a list of the actual winners.  And, more importantly, here’s a graphic of where we placed our coveted, Academy–ignored votes.

Below, your full list of 2012 Oscar Winners.
Best Picture: “The Artist”
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants”
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson, “Hugo”
Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schavo, “Hugo”
Best Costume Design: Mark Bridges, “The Artist”
Best Makeup: Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, “The Iron Lady”
Best Foreign Language Film: “A Separation”
Best Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Best Sound Editing: Phillip Stockton and Eugene Gearty, “Hugo”
Best Sound Mixing: Tom Fleischman and John Midgley, “Hugo”
Best Documentary: “Undefeated”
Best Animated Feature: “Rango”
Best Visual Effects: “Hugo”
Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, “The Artist”
Best Original Song: Bret McKenzie, “Man or Muppet”
Best Live Action Short: “The Shore”
Best Documentary Short: “Saving Face”
Best Animated Short: “The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr. Morris Lessmore”

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We know you’re tired. It’s been a long week, for a short week. Friday’s here, and we’re gonna get you to the weekend W+K NY style.

We’ve put our jamming caps on and compiled a few hours of music that you can enjoy NOW, via Spotify. Just follow this link to the W+K NY SpotiFriday playlist, and enjoy. If you like it, we’ll try to do it every week!

If you want to talk about the playlist, or anything else, hit us up on Twitter at @WKNYC.

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If the answer is yes, go to www.iworkedatwk.com.

If the answer is no, don’t go there or you will be instantly vaporized (which is quite painful, despite being instant). But feel free to share the link so that we can find everyone who has.

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This year Ghetto Film School partnered with Wieden + Kennedy to create :15 spec commercials for Target’s “Life is a Moving Target” campaign. The spots were produced during the “Industry 101” semester, the 2nd part of Ghetto Film School’s 15-month Fellows Program.

Here’s how the program worked:

• kids briefed by W+K account team
• kids workshop scripts with W+K creatives
• kids presented scripts to W+K CD’s
• kids presented scripts to Target clients
• 8 scripts were selected for production with the aid of W+K producers

More GFS videos can be seen here.

Last year, the fellows created spots for ESPN’s “It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports” campaign.”

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Rebecca Groff, our go-to for all things PR, and copywriter Charles Hodges sat down last week and talked all things holiday cheer.

Rebecca Groff: What’s your ‘go-to’ holiday party outfit?
Charles Hodges: You know, it’s an interesting question, and one that I’m always thinking about for any kind of festive event. I always want to be original, but in an understated, relaxed kind of way. I used to have a go to turtleneck and sweater combo. It worked great with a beard and some non-prescription glasses, but it required to much emotionally. Lots of “funny” faces in pictures, a regrettable choice overall when I really think about it. But that was during my high school years in Reno.
RG:  You went to high school in Reno?
CH:  No, I went to high school in Charlotte.

RG:  Why did you just lie?
CH:  I don’t know.

RG: Charlotte’s pretty conservative in its dress, is it not?
CH:  It depends on where you hang out. Actually no it doesn’t. Yeah, it’s pretty conservative. It’s like living in a turn of the millennium issue of Hammacher Schlemmer.

RG: The magazine that sells expensive, yet quirky gifts?
CH: Yeah.

RG: Are there people in those?
CH: Yeah, like when they are showing you a picture of the remote control doggy door there’s a person in the background smiling without a care in the world.

RG: And that’s what Charlotte is like?
CH: Pretty much. But I love Charlotte and, obviously, still dress like I am from there.

RG: Speaking of which, who (brand) are you wearing to the Holiday party?
CH: Oh jesus, where do I begin? I think I’ll be going with a white oxford shirt from J. Crew, dark jeans from J. Crew and a mohair blazer.

RG: Mohair blazer?
CH: Dillard’s, Spring 02.

RG: Is that it?
CH: I might wear a tie and some suede bucks from Cole Haan.

RG: Sounds like you might look like an English teacher.
CH: I’m comfortable with that.

RG: So no risks?
CH: That you’ll be able to see.

RG: Gross.
CH: Sorry.

RG: What are your tricks to staying fit during the holidays?
CH: Every morning I wake up, I drink a muscle milk shake. It helps get my metabolism going and sustains me through lunch. If I don’t have to work late, I’ll try to go to the gym. Sometimes I’ll run a few miles and lift some weights.

RG: Other times?
CH: I’ll just go to the gym, walk around, drink a bunch of water and just kind of think about nothing. Then I’ll come home, drink two beers and eat some frozen Sour Patch Kids while I watch something on instant Netflix.

RG: How often do you do that?
CH: More often than I do the muscle milk shake, real workout thing.

RG: Thanks for being honest that time.
CH: You’re welcome.

RG: What’s on your wish-list this holiday season?
CH: A weekend away from the office.

RG: What’s on your wish-list this holiday season that isn’t some “witty” professional response?
CH: One of those hats that has ear flaps, but not the furry kind, the kind that looks like a regular hat and then just happens to have ear flaps.

RG: Any advice for newbies tonight at the party?
CH: Yes. Don’t do anything that you would get you fired or fake fired.

RG: For example…
CH: Don’t put an executive creative director in a headlock.

No matter what you celebrate, may you get the gift equivalent of Charles’ cap with a flap.

Happy Holidays from all your friends at WK.

(Holiday party photos coming soon)

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