Shedwa's Six: Ariel Waldman of Shake Well Before Use

Name: Ariel Waldman
Title: Publisher
Blog: Shake Well Before Use

SHEDWA: When and why did you start Shake Well Before Use?
ARIEL WALDMAN: I started Shake Well Before Use (SWBU) in August of 2006. I had considered blogging for a couple years partially due to my involvement at VML (I go through about 200-600 new blogs and sites a day on average at work). But I didn't take a serious stab at it until Steve Hall of Adrants convinced me to give it a go. We had met at ad:tech in Chicago, and I suppose he was pleasantly surprised to meet someone who had as many rants as he does.

S: Your blog is described as 'art, advertising, sex + technology', why do you think those things work so well together?
AW: Originally, I wasn't sure what direction SWBU was going to take. I knew I didn't want to limit myself to one kind of audience or content. I allowed my blog to grow for a few months before placing any labels on it. One of the most valuable things a blogger can bring to the table is context, and I wanted to create a hybrid of various connected elements. Art, advertising, sex and technology captures the majority of activity in the blogosphere (and my mind), and while most of us are interested in all of it, not many blogs have taken the step forward in blurring the lines between these communities.

S: What impact, if any, do you think blogs serve in the ad community?
AW: I find that blogs have really broken down the barriers between competing agencies over time. Rather than operating in isolated pods, we're sharing ideas and networking on a broader scale with our competitors, and it only makes the ad community stronger.

S: In your career, you started as an intern and worked your way up in the company. What advice do you have for other interns looking to do the same?
AW: Be tenacious. There's lots of great advice out there about taking risks and getting your foot in the door, but no matter what approach you take you have to be tenacious. Also, never underestimate the power of just talking to people, regardless of politics. As an intern, you have an entire company of amazing people with various backgrounds available to you.

S: Your 'about' section states you plan to move to New York City in 2007. What entices you most about the city?
AW: In actuality, that's what I'm hoping to find out when I move there. I've spent a total of a few days in New York in my life, so I can't say I'm entirely sure what I'm about to get into. I had actually planned to move to London for the past couple of years, but when the opportunity came, I decided that New York would be the better decision for this point in my life and career. I would say a large part of it is the adventure of going someplace I'm not familiar with and seeing where it will take me. I guess you could say I enjoy being pleasantly surprised.

S: What are your 5 favorite blogs, advertising focused or not?
AW: We Make Money Not Art has always been my favorite blog from the moment I came across it. I think I pull a lot of inspiration from Regine's mixture of art and technology.

Adrants, of course, due to its full coverage of the industry yet delightfully cynical and pervy attitude towards advertising overall.

Engadget, because despite their unmatched authority in the blogosphere, they don't take themselves too seriously.

Gaping Void, because Hugh does a fabulous job of balancing silliness with seriousness.

Boing Boing simply because I look up to a blog that generated so much traffic and influence without narrowing their content to just one topic or area.

Check back each Wednesday for a new Shedwa's Six interview.