I wish I could be with you to sit down and chat.
I wish I could be with you to look right into your eyes.
I wish I could be with you to see your smile.
I wish I could be with you to give you a ridiculous present that I know you’d love.
I wish I could be with you and say Happy 78th.
Happy birthday Dad.
Love you … give Mum a kiss for me.
Rx
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Creativity, Culture, Insight, Perspective
So as you know, I’m running The Kennedys.
While it is focused on helping the guys express their creativity in ways they never thought possible, what I’m really teaching is how to be fearless.
Of course, you don’t really ‘teach’ that … all you can do is create an environment that gives them the space to gain the confidence to fail harder [to coin a Wiedenism] and then hope that in time, this approach becomes second nature to them.
The ad industry loves to talk about boldness and bravery, but quite often, what they actually mean is indulgence.
Of course not everyone is like this, but a lot are – which is why at the very beginning of the course, I wanted the guys to understand what I meant by fearlessness … and for me, there is no better person to talk about it than this guy.
God I love this speech.
I love the big things he says and the stuff hidden in the shadows.
Like how you need to commit to something rather than just be interested in it.
That creativity is there to provoke rather than to notify.
That if you’re not thinking in terms of unforgettable, you’re not thinking enough.
Great mantras … stuff that is applicable for whatever you do, regardless of industry.
Of course not everyone is going to be like George Lois – but that’s the point of The Kennedys.
It’s not about recreating someone else, it’s about making them better than they thought they could ever be … and the irony of it is less about developing additional skills, but simply listening and believing in who they truly are.
I’m enjoying watching their journey.
Talking of being who you truly are or more precisely, who you think I am … I’m off on holiday.
Again.
Yes, I know I’ve just been away for a month, but the next few days are a national holiday here so deal with it. At least it means you’re free from me, which I’m sure makes you almost as happy as it does The Kennedys.
Till Monday …
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Interviews, olympics
So I’ve written before about the value in starting your own business … and I still wholeheartedly stand by that.
However I recently read an interview with the actor Michael Keaton, that made me re-think a bit about what ‘starting your own business’ really means.
I love how he connects choosing a role with running his business.
It’s so obvious, but I never thought of it that way before.
But this is exactly how everyone should look at what they do … even if you are an employee of someone else.
What are you choosing to do?
What are you choosing to accept?
What are the standards you will work to and will expect from others?
Sure, some of these things are easier to control when you literally run ‘your own business’ … but if we acknowledge that our careers are ultimately in our own hands, then looking at what we do through the lens of it being ‘our own business’, may make us sharper on what we do and what we are willing to do. Or – as is sometimes even more important – what we won’t.
Filed under: Attitude & Aptitude, Communication Strategy, Creativity, Culture, Design, Marketing, Standards
So I was reading a magazine this week when I saw this …
As you can see, it’s a photo of the NBA offices in the US, but what I love is the way the area around the lift buttons has been designed to look like a basketball.
Not a big thing you may say … and you’re probably right, but that sort-of attention to detail shows someone who has thought about what they’re doing and cares about what they’re making and in this day and age, I find that more impressive and appealing than the hype that goes along with every big ad campaign launch.
For me, this is more evidence that some of the most interesting work these days is coming from design firms rather than ad agencies.
Maybe that’s because design has to think in the long term whereas most ad campaigns think about the next 30 seconds … but in terms of developing ideas with lasting and sustainable impact, I think design companies are miles ahead from most ad agencies these days and if anything should kick our arse to get back to our craft, it’s that.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Brilliant Marketing Ideas In History, Comment, Cunning, Devious Strategy, Insight, Marketing, Periods
This is either brilliant insight or utter shopper mentalness.
Trouble is, I’m not sure which.
As I’ve written before, supermarkets have a history of falling into either of these camps.
From identifying brilliant moments of unexpected relevance to just shoving things together and hoping for the best.
I’m leaning towards this being ‘brilliant insight’ … just because they’re offering the ‘King Size’ bar, rather than the regular … but that could also be because I’d buy 5 packets of tampons for a free chocolate bar.
Hell, maybe this is what it is really about.
To give men who normally feel awkward buying this sort of thing for their wives/girlfriends/daughters, the courage to pick a box up.
Now that would be truly brilliant insight. Maybe even bordering on devious strategy.