Filed under: Comment
OK, let’s get a couple of the issues out of the way right from the off …
1. When I say “I’m in love”, I don’t mean the cupid type of love.
2. Amazingly, I’m not talking about the Freddie who fronted my beloved Queen.
The person I’m talking about is Mr Freddie Sarnblad.
I worked with Freddie for a few years in Singapore and can honestly say, it was one of the best times of my career.
He’s smart, gracious, funny, kind, collaborative, genuine and basically a whole lot of other attributes that will never be assigned to me.
However the greatest compliment I can give him is that while he’s a great, great planner, he’s actually an even greater person and friend.
[Even though he might not say the same given I have done things like this to him]
Last week we managed to catch up and enjoyed a ridiculously long and large dinner.
It was awesome.
Talking … bitching … discussing … it was chicken soup for the evil bastard soul.
Oh yes, please don’t think Freddie is Mr Perfect, underneath that carefully sculptured, calm exterior lies a heart of mischievous menace.
But after we got all that out the way, we chatted about life.
Not superficial shit like the TV ads like to pretend represents blokedom, but really important and meaningful stuff – like family and legacy and values and beliefs.
I can open up to Freddie.
I can tell him my hopes and dreams, fears and insecurities.
I don’t feel nervous, I don’t feel judged, I just feel I can talk freely to him and hear his perspective, advice, views and wisdom.
Of course there are a few other people I can be this open to – my wife for one – but it’s different with them.
That doesn’t mean it’s wrong or bad or less meaningful or involves secrets I don’t want them to hear … it’s just different.
That could be because of circumstance, relationship, situation or background – who knows – but when Freddie and I get together, I always feel ‘purged’.
Purged of doubt.
Purged of concern.
Purged of worry.
It’s an emotional detox.
And what he puts in its place is a lovely dollop of positivity, excitement, possibilities and curiosity.
Yes, I know this sounds all very dodgy, but it’s not, it’s a compliment to his skill, intelligence and empathy … no wonder every client wants him to work exclusively on their business.
The reality is everyone needs someone like Freddie in their life – maybe everyone already does – but at a time where we are told we’re more connected than ever, I would say my few hours in Freddie’s company reaffirmed what I have long known, being connected and being close are very different things.
Digital and media planners should take note.
Filed under: Comment
One of the things I am firmly aware of, is that people only ever come on my blog to hear Andy’s rantings.
I could write nothing and it wouldn’t matter. In fact, that would be probably preferable.
Of course, for those of us that know Andy a bit more intimately [but fortunately, not that intimately], his blog persona is not his real persona because if it was, let’s be honest, no one could stand him for more than 2 minutes, let alone have a company with him.
The reason I am saying all this is because he’s not going to be around so much and when he is, it’s quite possible that he will be grumpier than ever … hence I understand why the only people who will come on here from now on will be my Mum and errrrrm, my Mum.
And why is this the case?
Because last night, at around 10pm GMT, Andy helped bring something so beautiful into the World, that the whole premise of genetics is now being questioned
That, or – as we all suspect – his stunning wife was responsible for all.
You see at 10pm last night, Andy became the sickeningly proud father of little Bonnie Jasmine Boucher.
Everyone is deliriously happy and healthy so a huge, Huge, HUGE congratulations … and I promise I won’t mention that you now have another woman in your life who you’ll be funding for the next 20 years.
Well, I won’t mention it for a few weeks anyway.
Seriously, it’s brilliant news and I’m so happy for you all.
Big hugs and come back soon.
Filed under: Comment
So I am speaking at a conference in Melbourne next month and as part of the ‘publicity’, the organisers asked me to make a little video about what I’ll be talking about.
After I saw this, I decided it might be better if I did something a little different, so I decided to ask some of my colleagues what they think the audience at the Digital Advertising World conference will get from my presentation.
After hearing what they said, it appears, the real winners will be the W+K Shanghai office.
Bastards.
Filed under: Comment
I recently watched the Meryl Streep movie about Margaret Thatcher.
I was never a fan of the Iron Lady, but I hated how she was depicted in the film.
While we all grow old, basing a movie around her declining mind just seemed cheap and nasty … but I digress.
There was one line in the movie that struck a chord.
She was at the DR’s and said something like:
“Everyone prefers to feel these days instead of think. Why is no one thinking anymore?”
Now even though I am someone who is a big believer in ‘feelings’, I absolutely got her point.
Or what I think was her point.
Or what I’ve interpreted as her point.
Feelings allow people to be selfish.
Feelings allow people to make excuses.
Feelings allow people to avoid dealing with issues and realities.
Feelings have basically become the best ‘get out of jail card’ there is.
Of course, the issue is ‘thinking’ and ‘feelings’ shouldn’t be mutually exclusive – they should work in parallel so decisions can be more rounded and, to a certain extent, grounded – but that’s not what is happening these days, people use feelings to justify for what they want to do, not what should be done.
“I don’t FEEL like doing it.”
“I don’t FEEL that’s the right thing to do.”
“I don’t FEEL what you’re saying/showing.”
Where’s the thinking gone?
Where’s that little thought process that ensures you consider more than just your personal viewpoint … your personal judgement … your personal perspective?
That teensy little thing that increases the odds that the decisions being made are the right – or should I say, more considered – answer, not just the right answer for you.
Of course it shouldn’t be a case of one or the other and yet that is what is seemingly happening.
Hell, my industry even promotes it.
You’re either RATIONAL or EMOTIONAL.
No you’re not, you’re both.
We are humans, not robots – which means we have both attributes in us. In ALL of us. ALL OF THE TIME.
But this isn’t a post about adland, it’s a post about how the term ‘feelings’ has been hijacked by people to justify acts of pure selfishness.
It’s important to remember feelings go in more than one direction and thinking encourages that to keep happening.
Filed under: Comment
I’ve written a lot about embracing life rather than chasing a lifestyle.
I’ve written a lot about the importance of love, friendship, support and loyalty.
I’ve written a lot about the importance of talking about death rather than hiding from it.
I’ve written a lot about the dangers of regret.
I’ve written a lot about treasuring the moments that really matter.
Even though it’s beautifully tragic, this does it better than anything I could ever say.