On a recent business trip to Europe, Frank Addante made time to partake in a vital German tradition: Oktoberfest.
“It had the feeling of a sporting event where the sport was drinking beer,” reported Addante, a 32-year-old serial entrepreneur who is now chief executive of Internet advertising company Rubicon Project.
Addante, who was in Europe to scout out a spot for Rubicon’s first overseas office, said he woke up at 6 a.m. to make sure he got a good table for the first day of the Munich fair.
He was impressed by the famous Oktoberfest tents, which can hold up to 10,000 people along with an occasional roasted ox.
Addante didn’t sample any ox, but he picked up one vital statistic.
“I learned that Germans drink more beer per person than anyone else in the world 240 liters of beer every year on average.”
That’s more than 63 gallons for any Americans who want to try to keep up.
Kicking Out the AdJams
James Aardahl has lived the dream. The account supervisor at ad agency TBWAChiatDay in Marina del Rey has become a rock star.
Well, sort of. Last month, his band called ChiatRiot! won the top prize at AdJam Battle of the Agency Bands, an annual competition organized by ThinkLA, the local ad trade group.
Aardahl, who plays rhythm guitar and counts the Grammy Awards as one of his accounts, said his occasional 10- to 15-minute sets are like minivacations. “In advertising, where we work around the clock, to have those 15 minutes to forget about your worries is very therapeutic.”
The AdJam trophy has a proud position at the agency’s headquarters behind a bar made of surfboards and right above the espresso machine.
Not Just Run of the ‘Mill
L.A. lawyer Aaron Craig knew he had to get his treadmill out of his house when his 3-year-old son figured out how to plug it in and turn it on.
So Craig placed an ad appropriately on Craig’s List for a handyman with IT experience. Together, they attached a keyboard tray, installed an eye-level monitor stand, and Craig had a treadmill desk. He took it to work.
So, exactly how practical is it for the litigator to work and exercise at the same time? “I am able to type fast and accurately while walking,” Craig said. “I can do some of those easier tasks on it, like sending and receiving e-mails.”
Craig said he has only lost a few pounds. “But I have only had it for a couple of months.”
Staff reporters Charles Proctor, Joel Russell and Alexa Hyland contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by Editor Charles Crumley. He can be reached at [email protected].
