Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Creativity, Music
Yoyoka Soma is 8 years old.
She’s a fierce-as-fuck drummer.
Not in a ‘cute kid plays drums’ sort-of way … but in a she’s a ‘great drummer sort-ofway.
Frankly, if the World felt as much joy as she does when she hits those drums – especially when she’s playing the rhythm with the hi-hat – everything would be perfect.
She – like her fellow Japanese musician, Hiromi – is my hero.
Hope you have a weekend that will make you smile as much as this …
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Communication Strategy, Confidence, Creative Brief, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Deutsch, Emotion, Empathy, Imagination, Insight, Planners, Planning, Point Of View, Positioning, Resonance, Social Commentary
So we’ve recently had some interns join the Deutsch planning mob.
They’re smart, passionate and enthusiastic as hell.
Far smarter than I was at their age. Arguably, smarter than I am now.
So I met up with them to see how they were going and they told me how they were getting to grips with things because initially, it was so overwhelming that they found themselves going down a lot of rabbit holes.
I get it, it was super daunting to me when I started too but the one thing that concerned me was their belief that rabbit holes were a negative.
As I pointed out to them, if they don’t go down rabbit holes, then they’re no use to me.
Rabbit holes are an essential part of the planning process.
Not just in terms of exploring possibilities to tackle the problem you have been given … nor to pressure test the strategy you have identified … but to also reveal if there is are more interesting ways to tackle the problem than you may have originally considered or identified.
Rabbit holes are as much about opening possibilities as they are closing them which is why if you don’t embrace them, all you’re doing is screwing yourself – and the client – over.
Sure, focusing on what you think the client will buy may get you quicker approvals and client compliments, but allowing your brain the space and time to wander can help you get to somewhere new … somewhere exciting … somewhere that allows creativity to take you to places no one saw coming … places that will attract rather than chase … and even if you don’t end up somewhere more interesting than where you started, at least you can be sure the strategy you’re recommending has been pushed and prodded, which is why I passionately believe rabbit holes aren’t a waste of time, but a key deliverable of what we do and have to do.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Emotion, Empathy
A few weeks back I was in Kansas, about to fly home.
While queuing at the customs line, I noticed a young woman in front of me in distress.
It was obvious she was more than just upset, this was someone feeling a great sense of fear.
I asked her if she was OK and she looked at me like she couldn’t compute what I was saying so I put my hand out to reassure her and she jumped back as if I was holding a gun.
Because of situations I’ve seen in the past, I realized she was very troubled so calmly told her that is she needed help, she could talk to a Police Officer or ask me to get one for her.
All this time, the people around us didn’t say a word.
Nothing.
It gets worse.
As she approached the customs official, he started asking her why she was upset. She obviously was too distressed to answer properly so then he started saying he won’t let her pass unless she calmed down … which, obviously then made her worse.
I’d seen enough and pointed out she was obviously scared and could do with some assistance rather than his aggressive behaviour.
He told me to mind my own business – literally – and then told the young lady to stand by the side because he won’t be letting her pass.
That’s where I kind of lost it.
I pointed out that surely he could be more sympathetic and instead of dismissing the lady, he could try to help.
Call for assistance.
Help check her paperwork.
Reassure her he wants to make sure she’s OK.
And what did he say to this?
He threatened to have me arrested.
ARRESTED!!!
Still no one in the queue said a word.
Not even a mutter of support.
At this point I was too far gone to back down – but thankfully, the spirit of my Father possessed me – because I calmly pointed out that if he arrested me, he’d be in a lot of trouble because I would have a chance to point out his bullying in a court of law.
He called for ‘back-up’.
Still no one in the queue intervened.
Fortunately his ‘back up’ was his boss who asked what the problem was.
He told him that I was being aggressive and ignoring his demands.
It was only when I pointed to the young lady on ths side of the queue – still sobbing deeply inside herself – and explained my actions were due to my concerns for the safety of a passenger I didn’t know that the senior officer took control.
He told me he needed me to go through customs so the line could keep moving and he would personally go help the girl.
He said I could be sure he would do this as there was a glass partition where I could witness him doing it.
And he was as true to his word.
But here’s the thing … had this senior officer not come in to sort things out, what would have happened to me and especially the young woman?
No one in the queue offered any assistance of any kind.
The original TSA officer didn’t show any sense of empathy to the poor lady.
Mental health is an issue that affects all of us … either because we suffer from it or we know someone who does.
The lack of empathy from the people in the queue astounds me.
Yes, I know it’s scary.
Yes, I know there are potential ramifications for getting involved in things.
But how can we expect others to look out for us when we don’t look out for them?
I’ve said it many times how important I regard empathy.
Looking at the World through someone else’s perspective and situation is the foundation of kindness and compassion.
We could do with more of that in the World.
I don’t know what happened to that lady, but I hope she is OK.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Communication Strategy, Crap Campaigns In History, Creativity, Embarrassing Moments, Marketing Fail
Now I appreciate I am a social media whore and have posted all sorts of rubbish in the past, but even I would never do something like this …
I honestly don’t know who is the bigger idiot …
Nescafe for thinking this is a good idea.
The agency for coming up with this idea.
The couple – who occupy that unique space of un-influential, influencers – who decided to commemorate their engagement by selling their souls for a few quid and appearing in a social media post for an international coffee brand while pretending [1] it’s totally natural to commemorate your engagement by appearing in a social media post for an international coffee brand and [2] it’s totally believable to have a staged photo of you in bed, despite the fact there was a photographer in the room with you..
Some other questions are:
+ Why are they not looking at each other?
+ Why is he so, so, so brown?
+ Judging by how tensed up his arms are, just how heavy is that cup of coffee?
+ Why is he cradling his cock?
Seriously, this might be the most z-grade version of Hello magazine that ever lived.
Everyone involved in this – and I mean everyone – needs a bloody big smack in the head.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Goodbye America, Otis
Yes, that’s Otis and his mates coming back from a day at the water park.
I feel like that but I haven’t spent all day at the water park.
I spent all weekend organising stuff for our move to London.
Given how many times we’ve moved countries, this shouldn’t be so hard … but then, this is the first time I’ve lived in a country where all the electronics we bought here won’t work in the country we are moving to, so a bunch of American’s are getting the deals of their lives.
Not that I’m bitter.
Oh no.
I absolutely love seeing my money go down the bloody drain.
Yes, I know this is all my fault, but I’m choosing to ignore that right now, thank-you-very-much.