Filed under: Comment
… because I’m presenting/listening/debating/learning/ranting at the inaugural World Effies corporatefest in Singapore.
Given the thing has apparently sold out – despite tickets costing something like SG$2,500 each – I think the most uber-effective campaign is the one that managed to convince shitloads of people from all around the planet to come to Singapore under the guise of seeing/hearing the best the Globe has to offer in business sound, creative thinking.
Don’t get me wrong – they’re good – but as I wrote a while back, they are not without their flaws and anyone who regards them as the embodiment of ‘genius’ is severely misguided.
Anyway, I thought we could have abit of fun – or more precisely, I thought you could help me have a bit of fun – by looking at the list of key EFFIES speakers and then suggesting questions I could ask them.
I’ll be checking in over the next couple of days so feel free to write them at will – however I do have to say I’d rather have something intelligently sarcastic than simply asking Seb Coe whether he is suffering from a detached retina given he supported the monstrosity that is the British Olympics logo.
Then again, that seems quite a good question really, ha!
Have fun – will report what I saw/learnt/experienced next week.
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I’m guessing you’ll be asking them whether they want red or white.
Comment by John February 28, 2008 @ 8:01 amAsk them all what was the best social media experience they had on the net and time the silence.
Comment by Charles Frith February 28, 2008 @ 8:14 amI have no questions I want you to ask on my behalf, I just thought you’d be interested to know that one of my spies has just told me your presentation was “interesting, exciting, charming and inspiring” and by the end of it, you had a plethora of groupies waiting to pass you their cards, even with your face.
If it wasn’t so early there, I’d assume my colleague was drunk but it would seem you’ve not just tamed the hoardes, but got them wanting to hold your hand to the promised land.
You’re an infectious little devil aren’t you Mr Campbell though not sufficiently enough for me to ever refer to you as inspiring.
Congratulations none the less, I look forward to seeing this new and improved Rob Campbell in a fortnight.
Comment by Lee Hill February 28, 2008 @ 1:15 pmi feel fucking sick after reading that lee. ill be back soon to put an end to all this fawning shit because campbell normally bores me to fucking tears so his audience are either imbeciles or he had a flukey good day.
Comment by andy@cynic February 28, 2008 @ 3:01 pmCould you please ask Sir John Hegarty why “Five Star” were so fucking shit.
Morning.
Comment by Marcus February 28, 2008 @ 3:06 pmand include matt bianco in that question.
Comment by andy@cynic February 28, 2008 @ 3:43 pmCould you please ask them (not Seb Coe)if they see the Asian market as an opportunity to do amazing and culturally relevant work and redefine the communications industry as we know it – or if they see the Asian market as an opportunity to financially prop up their floundering businesses in Europe and Northern America whilst continuing to produce the kind lowest common denominator work that we have come to expect from both these markets?
Comment by Marcus February 28, 2008 @ 3:53 pmAsk them why they go around stating that certain Asian markets are their top priority but behave in the exact opposite way. Please do ask them because [I’m sure you know what I mean] 🙂
Comment by bhaskar February 28, 2008 @ 4:34 pmcan you ask the unilever guy (and if you refer to him in public as ‘the unilever guy’, i’ll love you forever) – how does an organisation like that reconcile, within one category, a strategic position like dove’s ‘real beauty’ on one hand, and the lynx campaign, which has young, nubile women throwing themselves over blokes as the ultimate experience, on the other. does an Effie cure corporate schizophrenia?
Comment by lauren February 28, 2008 @ 5:03 pmGood one Lauren, to add to that:
Do they not feel it damages the message of the Dove campaign, and risks the whole Unilever brand looking hypocritical.
Comment by Rob Mortimer February 28, 2008 @ 5:36 pmAsk them if they sleep well?
Comment by John February 28, 2008 @ 6:11 pmask them if theyve ever enjoyed same sex sex.
Comment by andy@cynic February 28, 2008 @ 6:15 pmThat’s a trick question isn’t it Andy?
Comment by Marcus February 28, 2008 @ 6:33 pmNice questions – tomorrow is the real Q&A session so I’ll ask as many as possible then.
To be honest, some of them are evilly legitimate and need to answered because their actions speak another tune.
Luckily, given my preso of today, they’ll know I won’t be fobbed off with their usual bollocks and might actually have to come clean.
Now as for the 5 Star and Matt Bianco [what a surprise they came from Marcus and Andy] I didn’t get to ask Sir John, but I spent a lovely 2 hours with Nick Kendall – the group strat officer of BBH and a fucking wonderfully nice man – and I did put it to him but his reply was more of wonder than anything specific.
With that in mind, I think he is a man of taste for simply not knowing who they are whereas for the rest of us, we’re spending our lives trying to forget, ha!
John – the answer is “Red”
And Pete … I know you are too mental to write anything at the moment … but an obscene congrats to you and the team, even if it means [1] you have to now work on making Microsoft even bigger [but I’m sure they’re much better than when Russell Davies worked with them] and [2] my friend, Catherine Heath, who went to the US just 3 months ago to be Planning Director on the Microsoft biz – is probably going to be out of a job now.
Oh, and finally a big ‘heads up’ to Seb Coe who made a video message for my colleague Prue’s daughter [who loves athletics] saying she should keep trying, practicing and enjoying her sport because one day she might get to be an Olympic participant.
Comment by Rob February 28, 2008 @ 8:02 pmI do hope she does cos she is costing me shit loads of money and time right now ! But how to excel in anything “creative” in this country where sportsmen are considered lower on the social ladder than the men I greet early on a Saturday am clearing my rubbish (grrrrrrrrrrrr). She should have been born British !
Comment by fan February 29, 2008 @ 5:58 pmbut then shed come last at everything regardless how much she trained.
Comment by andy@cynic February 29, 2008 @ 6:35 pmsaid by the man who always comes first!
Comment by John February 29, 2008 @ 6:46 pmtakes practice to be that efficient. whats your excuse?
Comment by andy@cynic February 29, 2008 @ 6:49 pmAndy, fancy fucking McCanns off?
Comment by Marcus February 29, 2008 @ 6:53 pmnext week my lovely marcus, im in the italian sun and the women need me. ill be well up for some fuck off action when im back though. oh yes and mccaans are specially deserving. lets get pete to present the microsoft winning strat on this blog. oh that would be fucking gold.
Comment by andy@cynic February 29, 2008 @ 6:56 pmoh, that would be grand. So that’s a date then – fuck off action next week.
Comment by Marcus February 29, 2008 @ 6:58 pm