Author Archives: Stef

About Stef

Stefani Zellmer co-founded Swizzle with husband and business partner Chris Davis in 2009. After 17 years in the advertising industry, working for agencies big and small, she felt it was time to work for a different kind of agency. Her own. While she's not obsessing over Swizzle, she's fretting about her other two children, and wishing the former would grow faster and the ladder would grow slower. In her spare time, she thinks about writing that novel while she watches Glee.

Swizzle and Sausage, Together at Last

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Stef

Houston-based Holmes Smokehouse has chosen The Swizzle Collective as Agency of Record for it’s premium sausage brands, hoping to drum up statewide awareness for a brand that is already #1 in Houston according to the Houston Chronicle. We share our … Continue reading →

Posted in Ad biz, Advertising, Austin, Client News, New Biz, Partners, Swizzle News | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off

Paper Schmaper

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Stef

Irony runs pretty rampant in advertising. So, when Velocity Credit Union wanted to send a paper notice to their customers asking them to sign up for eStatements (in order to save paper, no less), the hypocrisy made us a little … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Austin, Production, Shared Inspiration, The Work, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

It’s with a resounding Dang! that we add Threadgill’s to our client roster

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Stef

In our third consecutive effort with Director Mike Angelo Torres, we’re challenged with breathing new life into an Austin institution. Our new campaign for Threadgill’s is simple. In fact, it’s only one word. Yet, it’s a word that encapsulates the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ad biz, Advertising, Austin, New Biz, Production, Swizzle News, SXSW restaurants, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

Tuesday Tales from the Trenches: Being on the Oscars

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Stef

In case you missed it, here’s our spot that ran during the 2011 Academy Awards Show. This is one of the first spots we produced for Velocity Credit Union, and it’s also one of our favorites. It seems to resonate … Continue reading →

Posted in Ad biz, Advertising, Austin, Client Shout Outs, Shared Inspiration, Tuesday: Tales from the Trenches, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off

Ads of Our Lives

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Stef

This week in Ads of Our Lives, we’ll discuss the classic Volkswagen spot, “Snow Plow.” Background Created by Doyle Dane Bernbach, this classic ad won gold at Cannes in 1964. Now known as DDB, which is still active today on … Continue reading →

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Tickle Fight

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Stef

This is my favorite oxymoron. And my metaphor of the day. As we go into the weekend, I’m busy wrapping up the work week and preparing for a casting session on Monday. I’m in that eternal segue of work life … Continue reading →

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Tuesday Tales from the Trenches: On A Professor’s Influence

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Stef

For twenty years, I’ve been telling the story of how my life was pointed down a different path by one very dynamic advertising class. See, I thought I wanted to be a journalist, and I often still glamorize what my … Continue reading →

Posted in Ad biz, Advertising, Austin, Tuesday: Tales from the Trenches, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My Bloody Swizzletine

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Stef

Top Five Drinks We’ll Be Serving This Thursday at our I Art Congress Event: 1. My Bloody Swizzletine (Svedka Vodka and homemade Bloody Mary Mix) 2. St. Swizzle (St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Grey Goose Vodka, fresh lemon juice and simple … Continue reading →

Posted in Ad biz, Advertising, Austin | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Swizzle Bowl 2011

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Stef

Top Five Spots That Nailed It 1.    Audi “Release the Hounds”: Because it says, “Escape the confines of old luxury” from beginning to end. 2.    Carmax “Kid in a Candy Store”: Because it reinvents a cliché to make a simple … Continue reading →

Posted in Ad biz, Advertising, Austin, Lists, My Fave 5, Shared Inspiration, Top 5 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tuesday Tales from the Trenches: On paying dues

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Stef

As The Swizzle Collective prepares to hire its first batch of interns, I can’t help but reflect on the internships I took on when I was an aspiring copywriter, lo those many years ago. I was plucked from UT’s Creative … Continue reading →

Posted in Ad biz, Advertising, Austin, Self Deprecation, Small biz, Tuesday: Tales from the Trenches | Tagged , , | Comments Off