Roby is back from his tour in the Stan!!! Copious celebratory beer drinking ahead.

Yep, our friend Roby is back in the States looking all healthy and whatnot. His war isn’t over yet, but he is back for a little while, which is pretty damn cool. It seems that only yesterday, we were waving goodbye and wondering if he’d make it back in one piece. (Not that we ever doubted he would. This isn’t his first time doing the military thing after all.)

If you’re going to be at the Clemson Triathlon this weekend, you might even score a Roby sighting. (Word on the street is he’ll be the runner in a team relay. Hmmm. The plot thickens!)

Anyway, welcome back Roby! Good to have you back.

I’m sure Roby will start lining up graphic design and photography projects in a few weeks, so if you want to get to the front of the line, go to http://www.f360photo.com and follow the links to his very own section of the site (his contact info will be there).

PS: I hear there will be a war photography book in the works very soon. More info on that in a few weeks. If you’re thinking “autographed coffee table book,” we’re on the same page.

Now stop wasting time reading this blog post and go kick ass on the project you SHOULD be working on right now. Go on! Shoo!

😉

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Aaaaaaand… back to Roby’s world.

While we’re all going about our daily business – driving to work, shopping at Target or Whole Foods or Starbucks, watching John Adams on HBO, and doing whatever it is we do, tens of thousands of men and women are serving overseas in areas that aren’t exactly… um… safe. F360’s Roby (photo above) is still one of them – although he should be heading home pretty soon. (Keeping our fingers crossed.)

Just to bring home Roby’s current lifestyle, here are some of his combat photographer images from Afghanistan (while his unit trains the locals to kick the Taliban in the teeth without US help):

Good stuff.

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And while we’re arguing about Marketing…

The latest images from Roby’s world:

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While you guys were watching Superbowl ads…

This is Roby. Roby and I have been friends for many years now, despite the fact that he is Italian and I am French. Roby is a pretty kick-ass photographer, graphic designer and all aroundman of fashion, and like me, he spent some time in the military before moving to the US. Unlike me, however, Roby decided to return to military life to take part in the “war on terror.”

If you are a regular reader of the BrandBuilder blog, you are no stranger to any of this. If you’re new, then you’re about to get caught up.

A few years ago, Roby and I came up with the idea of F360 over beer… or coffee… (or possibly both) at the Coffee Underground coffeeshop in Greenville, SC. I was bored at my corporate job and looking for ways to put my strategic and creative skills to better use – and for a broader pool of companies. Roby was also a little non-plussed about where his job was going and was starting to build a nice little portfolio of graphic design and commercial photography, but needed someone to bring copywriting, marketing strategy, and project management skills to the mix. It took a few months for me to finally make the jump and take him up on his offer to join forces with him, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Just as F360 was starting to really take off, Roby decided to join the Army National Guard and within two years, got his ass shipped out to the Stan – presumably to go hunt down Osama. Roby has been there since October – first in Kabul, and now at some undisclosed location. Looks like mountain passes and whatnot, so I guess his unit is helping local soldiers make sure the bad guys don’t come through their area.

Anyhoo, Roby took his cameras with him, so he shoots photos of his life over there, which is pretty damn cool. The photos posted below are from one of my favorite galleries he’s posted so far… just a few days ago… as he turned 35.

Happy Birthday, Roberto. Now get your ass back to the US so we can have a beer. (You’re still a big wuss for not climbing that hill with your gear, though.) Pffft. Army. Figures. ;D

There’s an accident waiting to happen if I’ve ever seen one.

A gunner’s view.

Roby is running up mountaintops now. WTF?! I can’t believe it! It must be photoshop!

Hmmm… I’d better start training.

Sweet view of the mountains and the valley. Good luck sneaking up on this outpost, you Taliban bastards!

Snack time.

Pajama pants.

The best pose EVER.

Livin’ it large.

Eden?

Gorgeous photos, Roby. Hooah.

The rest of you can go chat about the crappy overpriced commercials shown during the Superbowl. I’m sure by the time you read this post, the interwebs will be a-buzzing with excitement over whose ads scored, whose ads flopped, and how advertising is dead or making a comeback or whatever… *sigh*… Same conversation we have every year. I’ll pass, thanks, and watch the good ones on YouTube later this week, when I feel like the bandwagon has safely passed me by.

Have a great Monday, everyone. 😉

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Roby hits the road.

So Roby is alive and well, but we may be out of contact for a while. His unit has a new mission and a new secret FOB… so we won’t know for a while if he’ll still have internet access. If he doesn’t, he won’t be able to post to his blog regularly, which sucks.

War is hell, after all.

I’ve been collecting some of his recent photos, so I will post them regularly here, just as if his blogging hadn’t been interrupted.

Bon vent, bonne mer, Roby. We’ll see ya on the flip side.

To leave comments (and read previous, related posts) hit the brandbuilder’s main page.

Images by Roby Di Giovine.

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Weekend Update – Roby’s War.

Roby’s week “en images,” as they would say in the old country:

Read all about his latest adventures here.

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Weekend Update – Roby’s Afghanistan Thanksgiving

Here are some of Roby’s thanksgiving week images:

Read all about his adventures here. (And now that his blog allows comments, feel free to drop him a little hello.)

Welcome to a brand new week. 🙂

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Weekend Update: Roby’s week in Afghanistan

Roby’s week in Afghanistan: A photo journal.

Read all about his adventures here.

Happy Thanksgiving, bro.

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Remembering those who fight so we don’t have to.

Flashback to my first job out of college: Semper Fi – French Style

On November 11th, 1918, an Armistice was signed in a small train car that officially ended WWI – The war to end all wars. Though WWI didn’t in fact end all wars, we still observe the date, which is something I hope we never stop doing.

To the countless Americans, Brits, Canadians, and other volunteers from around the world who helped France defeat Germany not once but twice in my grandfather’s lifetime, I salute you. I probably wouldn’t be here today had it not been for your sacrifice.

Here is this week’s selection of my favorite shots from Roby’s blog – minus the color.

Photos by Roby who is still in Afghanistan, trying to make the world just a little bit better. Kickass photo editing by yours truly.

Roby, we miss you bro.

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Weekend Update: Roby’s third week in Afghanistan

My favorite images from Roby’s adventures in Afghanistan this past week:

Above: Roby’s unit provides medical assistance to a young girl in a village. Local kids taunting him with mad Chuck Norris skills. A local gutter/rudimentary sewer system and an Afghan moo-cow. Either a sunset or a sunrise view from the “tower.” A night patrol with a British unit.

Read about Roby’s daily adventures here.

All images copyright 2007 Roby DiGiovine.

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Weekend Update: Roby’s second week in Afghanistan

Starting today and lasting through the rest of his deployment in Afghanistan, I am going to reserve a little bit of bandwidth every weekend to bring you some of my favorite images from Roby’s quasi-daily photo diaries.

If you didn’t already know, Roby (one of the original masterminds behind F360) is currently doing a tour in Afghanistan with South Carolina’s Mighty Bravo 1-118 IN. When he gets back Stateside, he’ll have to show us how he manages to carry his weapon and his half dozen cameras, but until then, we’ll have to settle for his candid blog posts and his increasingly stunning images of a world and military mission we don’t get to see much of.

If you think that these images are good, wait until he gets warmed up. (He’s just getting started.) Seriously. This is easily AP quality stuff.

Read about Roby’s daily adventures here.

Have a great weekend, everyone. 😉

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The effectiveness of excuses

Overheard today:

“The maximum effective range of excuses is exactly zero meters.”

The military has a nice way of putting management lessons into simple terms.

* * *

On that note, it’s official: Since I have recently taken an exciting new position with another firm and Roby and his unit are now in Afghanistan, F360 is officially in hibernation mode until he comes back to G-Vegas next spring. No worries, F360 will continue to serve a small nucleus of select clients in the interim.

On my end, I want to thank all of the clients I had the pleasure of working with over the last few years. You guys rock, and I will miss you all. 🙂

Now, one of the cool things about Roby being in Afghanistan for many months to come, is that he is finally blogging… and judging by his first few entries, his blog is going to be classic Roby. (He’s only been in the Stan for 72 hours, but has already managed to lock himself into the latrines – which must be some kind of record.) Between Roby’s Italian accent, his candid style and his photography, this is sure to turn into a pretty good read over the next few months, not to mention a rare glimpse into what is going on in that part of the world. Bookmark his blog, check it out from time to time, and drop him an email when you get a chance. I am sure he’ll appreciate it.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone. 😉

Image: Roby’s first patrol in Kabul – from his first war gallery.

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