Filed under: Comment
Can anyone tell me why I think this article is actually damaging to planners like me?
Filed under: Comment
Your wife taking the piss out of her husband [see the new blog header] and him being so proud he happily puts it up.
And apparently there’s a ‘Campbell Voodoo Doll’ game coming soon … though I still have this niggling doubt this has less to do with love and more to do with causing me some grievous bodily harm.
Filed under: Comment
For those of you who don’t know what the Daily Sport is … imagine the News Of The World ‘newspaper’, Viz magazine, The National Enquirer and 1970’s sad jazz mag, ‘Fiesta’ all rolled into one.
Yes, it’s that bad.
Now many years ago, I actually had them as a client.
I still remember 2 incidents like they were just yesterday …
One was when they told me – totally straight faced – that they had a World exclusive they wanted to make a big deal out of.
“What is it?” I asked with genuine excitement, mainly because I was fed up of having my Father look at me like I had sold my soul to the devil.
Looking me straight in the face, they replied …
“We’ve got photographic evidence of a World War II Bomber on the moon”.
You think they were joking don’t you?
Nope …
That’s right, they ran the most ridiculous story EVER on their front page and added some of the worst photo-shopped pictures in history to boot.
And to make it worse, it sold by the bucketload which only encouraged even more outrageous behaviour … which leads me nicely to the 2nd incident …
For reasons best known to themselves, they organised a naked photo shoot of the World’s fattest woman.
Yes, it was another exclusive.
Anyway, when they told me, I think I said something that went along the lines of …
“What’s wrong with you people?!”
… which they obviously took offence to, because a few weeks later a LIFE SIZED POSTER of the woman in all her nude, layered-flab glory got delivered TO MY OFFICE!
Nice.
And yet, despite all this social ridicule, I still have a soft spot for them … or should I say I did, till I saw this …
It’s not that it’s possibly one of the most sexist pieces of film since David Attenborough’s “Life On Earth” [don’t tell me you fell for his ‘nature’ bollocks!], it’s the fact they resorted to a cheap-yet-blatant rip off the 42 Degree Vodka campaign.
The Sport may not have quality news, journalism or even paper stock … but one thing it has always had in abundance is humour.
Sure blokes like TITS, SPORT and FUNNY SHIT … but I’m disappointed The Sport has seemingly embraced the lowest common denominator of blokedom because when I was working on them, they always seemed to offer a bit more than that.
OK, I accept on first impressions you might not see that … and I’m certainly not suggesting they are highbrow in any way … but they always had a bit more flair and imagination in what they did and to see them resorting to Neanderthal man communication is a little disappointing.
God what am I going on about?
It’s shit isn’t it.
It’s all total and unmitigated shit … so why don’t I just drop the pretence of trying to be deep and meaningful and accept I just wanted to show you a clip featuring the sort of sexist bollocks that passes for high culture in Australia, ha!
Filed under: Comment
I’m speaking at the Music Matters conference today.
Quite why they asked me – a bloke who likes Queen, has the fashion sense of a 3 year old kid and loathes 99% of all the music produced today – to speak at a global record company event is beyond me, but as I’m going to try and get as many song titles as I can in my little section, at least I’ll be having some fun.
Anyway, have a look at this …
Sure, they nicked the idea off from a BBC show from a few years back [which for the life of me I cannot find anymore, but it was basically a faked 1970’s science show that allowed people to trick their friends into believing they could read the scientists mind by secretly clicking on specific areas of the Youtube screen where each related to a specific answer], but congrats to Boone Oakley for using Youtube in a more interesting way than just to put your fucking television ads or ‘campaign teasers’ on.
Filed under: Comment
So yesterday I put up a link to an article Leon very kindly sent me about the future of adland being linked to the role of the ‘creative planner’.
In the post, I stated that I found this kind of view damaging to planning and asked for people to guess why.
Of course, because my wife decided that was the day to unveil my new blog header, no one really bothered to respond to the question – favouring to write disparaging comments about my eligibility for cherubship – but putting that aside, I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain why I get very frustrated when articles like that come out.
Adland is an industry of egos.
Hell, mine could put Gene Simmons to shame, but regardless how good I am – or think I am – the reality is that I know any success I’ve had/have has more to do with other people than just me.
I’m not being shy and/or humble [this is me we’re talking about!!!] it’s the fact that great work needs great people to make it happen and the article seems to imply ‘planning’ is the only discipline that can really make a difference, with everyone else relegated to nothing more than supporting/bit-part players.
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Do I think planning is important?
Absolutely.
Do I think planning can/should be the ignition to an idea?
Definitely.
Do I think a planner is the only person who can think?
No.
Do I think a planner can do it all?
Not a fucking chance.
I’ve said it many times, but planning/planners should be judged on their ‘output’, not their intellectual – and often, unintelligible – input, and whilst I know some planners think they’re creative Gods, the reality is I’ve never met one who can do what a great creative can do, at least in terms of being able to develop the idea AND craft the finished work.
Hell, I’ve met more creatives that could give planners a run for their money than vice-versa … so this whole ‘planners are the new Rock Stars’ attitude is not only wrong, but driving an even bigger wedge between agency departments at a time when it needs it more than ever.
And whilst Richard Huntingdon recently wrote a critical article relating to the thought ‘a good idea can come from anyone’ … I believe it can, and have often been in the presence of it doing exactly that.
That doesn’t mean the account service, media planner, production assistant or receptionist will always come up with a groundbreakingly good idea … anymore than a planner/creative or client can [and let’s face it, with the standard of a lot of ads out there, the last thing I’d want to do is claim ‘ownership’ for the thinking] … but to suggest that they are in some way inferior to the ‘thinkers’ in an agency is about as misguided as his view all brainstorms are pointless.
Getting back to the article of yesterday …
Look I know a socialistic approach to business is suicide … and I know everyone has different talents and skills, which means their view may not be as valuable/relevant as those of others … but as much as I believe pragmatic planning/thinking should be the cornerstone for everything that goes on to be developed, I also know a good leader – where possible – will listen/explore/discover and learn from multiple viewpoints before deciding on the best course of action and that’s what drives me nuts about the article because it implies that approach is not necessary because a planner can do it all which is not only bollocks, but probably explains why [1] the only collaboration much of adland seems to engage in is blamethrowing and [2] why so much of adland is deep in the shit.