Rivers Agency is one of many companies across America that has staff working from home to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to Slack, Zoom, Google Docs, email and high speed internet, our agency team is able to continue supporting clients, all of whom around the globe are equally house-bound.
There are advantages and disadvantages to working from home – one can relax their usual standards of personal hygiene, sure. And working in isolation can help some people focus. However, a good proportion of homo sapiens agree that part of the joy of life is interacting, laughing with and creating things together.
Well…like any self-respecting advertising firm, the intrepid team of professionals at Rivers never lets a global pandemic interfere with a good time.
On Thursday April 2nd, the agency threw its inaugural Rivers Virtual Cocktail Party, a twist on the agency’s Thursday tradition of wrapping up time sheets and flinging off noise-cancelling headphones at 5:30 PM to walk next door to Bowbarr, Barcade, Crook’s Corner or any of several speakeasies near the company’s Chapel Hill offices. Once there we’d hoist a pint or cocktail to toast the day’s victories or pontificate about the coulda-shoulda-woulda things that could and should and would have happened…if only. Now any and all of that can still occur with no consideration at all of Uber-ing home.
The virtual get-together has taken on new urgency as Americans cope with fearsome health news and an economy that’s shaken, not stirred. It’s an opportunity to step away from stressful conversations and turn to more important subjects, such as the ABV of that craft beer or the percentage of gin to vermouth in a quarantini. Who knows? Perhaps an enterprising app developer out there can add a work-oriented app to the list of what are basically social media drinking games for dummies. Bachelorette parties have 5 Second Rule. An edgier crowd rocks Never Have I Ever. And there’s the quasi-nautical Drunk Pirate, which would surely be equally effective for any occupation.
There’s a clear consensus among medical personnel that maintaining isolation is a critical tactic in slowing the speed of this terribly historic viral outbreak. As much as we prefer the company of fellow humans, especially those we enjoy being around, we’re convinced that the next best thing is to convene with their 2-inch screen persona instead to help insure that everyone stays safe until the COVID cloud is past.
Many delivery options are in place to have nearly anything you need delivered to your door. Be safe while supporting those segments of your local economy as we #WorkFromHome to help #FlattenTheCurve.
Rivers Agency is the premier ad agency for Raleigh, NC, Chapel Hill, NC, Durham, NC and Carrboro, NC.