Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Chaos, Content, Creativity, Culture, Imagination, Innovation, Insight
Just before Christmas, an engineer put out a Youtube video of his brilliant payback on people who stole Amazon packages from his doorstep.
It’s funny, evil-genius and a celebration of the creativity in engineering.
Anyway, I woke up about 7 hours after he had put it out and said how this was now a creative goal for me at R/GA.
Unsurprisingly I got a lot of positive comments on the film, but there were more than a few that talked about how they loved it when they had seen it earlier.
While it might seen an innocuous comment, saying ‘they’d seen it earlier’ feels like an attempt to suggest they are ‘better’ than me … more in tune than me … more connected than me.
Now the reality is they probably are better than me on all those things, but given the video came out only a few hours after I woke up, it’s not like I am years out-the-loop, despite what this blog may suggest.
I find it interesting because whereas once status was measured in terms of how much money someone had … now it seems to be about how fast we know or have seen things. It’s probably always been that way given I remember how we used to talk about bands in terms of how long we had liked them before they had got popular, but watching people try to elevate their status [in a way that lowers someone else’s] based on seeing a Youtube video 2 hours before someone else feels like social currency is now more valuable to people than actual currency.
Mind you, given the impending disaster that is BREXIT, that is probably the only way we will be able to pay for our groceries soon.
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Then the engineer admitted some of the films were fake which means the speed spreaders are gullible and guilty.
Comment by Bazza January 15, 2019 @ 6:28 amAnyone should have been able to tell some of the films were fake from the reactions and language of the alleged thieves. Or I am Sherlock Holmes.
Comment by Bazza January 15, 2019 @ 6:30 amHis friends faked the footage without his knowledge. He admitted it as soon as he heard about it. I agree there was some clues if you looked carefully but you would never think friends would do such a thing. Especially if they don’t work in advertising.
Comment by DH January 15, 2019 @ 7:27 amAnd it doesn’t take away the genius of the revenge engineering.
Comment by DH January 15, 2019 @ 7:28 amFake or not, it is thoroughly entertaining.
Comment by Lee Hill January 15, 2019 @ 7:35 amYou wouldn’t be saying all this because the person in question works at your competitor would you?
I do hear what you’re saying but I think Dave is right. He didn’t have anything to do with it except to trust his mates and the overall idea and its execution was brilliant.
Comment by Rob January 15, 2019 @ 8:07 amI’ll be calling my lawyer.
Comment by Bazza January 15, 2019 @ 9:06 ami wish you would, id fucking love to see you 2 twats bankrupt each other.
Comment by andy@cynic January 15, 2019 @ 1:14 pmSlightly off topic but still related to the point of your post. Speed is definitely a competitive advantage but so is quality and accuracy. Strange they get talked about much less, yet they have been the foundation for many brands success, especially Apple.
Comment by Lee Hill January 15, 2019 @ 7:42 amI hear you Lee …
Maybe it’s because companies think if they’re first to market they can then perfect it with new iterations … which is fine in theory, but we know most of them don’t or – even worse – put out such a substandard offering in an attempt to beat the market, no one wants a new version, regardless how much it has been improved.
Comment by Rob January 15, 2019 @ 8:12 amHow is speed a competitive advantage? Are you just restating the first mover advanatge myth Lee? Yes, it’s beneficial but, as you point out with your reference to accuracy and quality, it’s not enough on its own. And therefore, I’d argue, it doesn’t qualify as competiitve advantage because it doesn’t establish a barrier to entry.
Comment by John January 15, 2019 @ 11:38 amI understand your argument John, but first mover does have advantages. Whether that advantage extends to longer term benefits for companies or shareholders is dependent on many other criteria, but for driving analyst valuations and short term share price gains, it works. And for many companies, that is all that matters.
Comment by Lee Hill January 15, 2019 @ 12:05 pmlee and doddsy in a spat is like watching the worst fucking wrestling match in the fucking world.
Comment by andy@cynic January 15, 2019 @ 1:15 pmI thought of this earlier.
Comment by Justin Lines January 15, 2019 @ 8:26 amYou win.
Comment by Rob January 15, 2019 @ 8:27 ameveryone does against you campbell.
Comment by andy@cynic January 15, 2019 @ 1:14 pmThat’s not true, Rob always wins at bad music and sartorial preferences
Comment by Northern January 15, 2019 @ 3:34 pmIf he invented something to destroy people who steal others food from the fridge, I’d pay good money.
Comment by DH January 15, 2019 @ 3:03 pmWithout wishing to sound too sensible, speed and quality might both be right depending on the situation or brief
Comment by Northern January 15, 2019 @ 3:33 pmFirst mover advantage can often result on followers copying you and doing it better
I think Rob’s point about the cultural value of speed is totally valid, but it’s interesting to make young folks wait, as with all people, we want the things we can’t have the most
I do enjoy the fact that Rob’s colleagues were basically telling him he’s uncool, but I guess he’s used to that
fuck his colleagues telling him. every fucker has. its just the prick isnt listening.
Comment by andy@cynic January 15, 2019 @ 7:33 pmTo be fair, he’s from Nottingham where they still think it’s 1976.
Comment by DH January 15, 2019 @ 8:02 pmNot first to post, so not going to comment…
Comment by Rob (Other one) January 16, 2019 @ 1:09 amThinking of you today Robert. I’m only commenting here because you stopped comments on your fathers anniversary post.
Comment by Lee Hill January 16, 2019 @ 6:29 am