It was a wacky weather Wednesday here in Dublin today where it was quite literally rainy and cold one minute and warm and sunny the next. Despite this bipolar weather, we had a great tour and discussion of the Docklands with Dr. Kelley. He did a fantastic job of giving historical context to Ireland’s social, economic, and cultural changes that made Dublin into the city that it is today. From our tour and from walking all over the city, it has been easy to observe the gentrification of the neighborhoods and city blocks. The rapid modernization of Ireland brought large international companies into the country due to tax breaks and cost savings. As a result, there have been ongoing financial issues for the country and a housing crisis due to a lack of unskilled workers to build new flats. This has created a landscape full of juxtaposition. The rundown exists right next to the brand new.

In the afternoon, we visited Thinkhouse, an independent marketing agency that is youth-focused and very creative. Due to their youth-centric approach to marketing, Thinkhouse holds a lot of power to influence and shape the minds of young people in Ireland. As most of Ireland’s population today is under 25, their marketing approach is highly sought after and makes their agency stand out from their competitors. However, a challenge that Thinkhouse has had to work through due to their unique youth-focused approach is demonstrating to clients that their skills and knowledge of the youth of Ireland has more uses and applications. One quote that stuck with me from this site visit was that “creativity has no rules.” Thinkhouse does a great job of doing outside of the box campaigns for their clients, and I think I have a lot to learn in respect to letting myself take chances, being creative, and being confident in what I create.