Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, America, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Creativity, Culture, Differentiation, Management, Relevance, Resonance
Two years ago, after a project I started called America In The Raw, I was giving a talk when an attendee – a senior marketing exec – asked how I could help them better understand African American culture.
After pointing out they were asking a WHITE, BRITISH male who had only been living in the country for over a year, I said the best thing he could do was hire some young African Americans and put them in positions of power.
To be fair to him, he was genuinely appreciative and enlightened by my suggestion.
To be unfair to him, it was another example of the oppression people of colour continually face from those who are too blind, ignorant, prejudiced or lazy to stop their ways.
Recently I discovered a friend of mine – who is African American – missed out on a promotion because “there were some concerns over his ability to lead” … despite the fact he has successfully led a team for almost 10 years.
If this industry wants a chance of staying alive then may I suggest we stop obsessively inventing ‘processes, language & proprietary tools’ [that generally ends up making exactly the same work we’ve been making for years or, in some cases, makes it even worse] and start giving talent who doesn’t look, think or act like the incumbent a chance to actually move us forward culturally, creatively and commercially.
Without judgement. Without barriers. Just encouragement and thanks.
Rant over.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Childhood, Comment, Dad, Daddyhood, Family, Love, Mum, Mum & Dad, My Fatherhood, Parents
Today is the 21st anniversary of Dad dying.
That blows my mind as I remember how that day unfolded so clearly, it could have been yesterday.
The only good thing about all the years that have passed is that I can now remember the good times with him – when he was healthy – rather than just focus on the 3 years he was deeply affected by his stroke.
And because of that, I want to talk about a time I remember vividly with him.
I had done well at school and Mum and Dad said that I could have a toy for all my hard work.
I was pretty good at school but at exam time, I would freak out and basically become paralyzed with fear.
Anyway, Dad took me to Broadmarsh Centre in Nottingham.
Broadmarsh was – and still is – the inferior shopping centre in Nottingham, but it had a dedicated toyshop so off we went.
I was so excited.
I loved going on trips with Dad and to get a gift as well was mind-blowing.
I remember him telling me to look around and see if there was something I liked.
The problem was I liked EVERYTHING, but I knew we didn’t have a lot of money so I tried to choose wisely.
I remember there was a Dinky Toy, Bell Helicopter I liked.
It was orange but the cabin was blue and it looked cool.
I showed it Dad.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
I nodded in wild agreement.
“Well we can get that then …”
And just as we were about to go to the till, my eyes spotted a die-cast Rolls Royce.
This was not a Matchbox car, this was something else.
A ‘to scale’ model of a Roller with doors that opened, a boot and bonnet that opened and a steering wheel that actually turned the wheels.
It was AMAZING.
It was also expensive … I think about £5, which back in the late seventies, was a big amount.
Dad saw me playing with it and asked, “Do you like that more?”
I nodded but felt guilty as I knew it was expensive and didn’t want Dad to spend so much money on me.
I remember him looking at me with his beautiful blue eyes and warm face.
He smiled.
“Well …,” he said, “… you’re looking at me with those moo-cow eyes, and you have done so well at school that maybe we can do it just this once”.
I was flabbergasted.
I was going to get the coolest car I’d ever seen.
I remember being so happy and showing Mum when we got home.
I remember hearing Dad explain to her I’d looked at him with these big ‘moo-cow’ eyes and he couldn’t resist.
I remember how happy they were for making me so happy.
And while it would be easy for them to think getting me a new toy was the reason for my joy – and it certainly contributed to it – the reality is I was happy because my parents were always caring, loving, supporting and encouraging.
The things they sacrificed for me is unbelievable.
Of course I didn’t realize it at the time, but what they did without so I could live with is amazing.
I hope they know that I worked this out.
I hope I told them when they were around.
My childhood was a blueprint for great childhoods.
I never wanted for their love or support.
I never felt they didn’t care or weren’t engaged.
My Mum and Dad were amazing to me … as teachers, carers, providers and inspirers.
Sure we had our moments – often caused by me being a cheeky or mischievous little shit – but even then, I never doubted they cared.
Never doubted they wanted the best for me.
And while Mum and Dad would have preferred it if I’d followed a career in law or medicine or a formal music education … they believed it was more important I lived a life of fulfillment rather than contentment.
It is a lesson I hope to pass on to my son one day.
Their grandson.
Oh how I wish they could have met him.
I don’t have many regrets but that is one of them.
So what I do instead is instill their lessons and love into his life.
So that while he may never meet them, he will always feel their presence.
Dad, I miss you.
I miss you so much.
I would love to tell you and show you so many things.
To see your reaction. To hear your questions.
You may have been gone from my physical life for 21 years, but you are still so deeply entrenched in my life.
It gives me strength when I face challenges.
Support when I feel alone.
Perspective when I get consumed by small things pretending to be big.
I love you.
Give Mum a kiss from me as you hold her hand.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Creative Brief, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, R/GA
Back in December, R/GA launched a piece of work that I genuinely love.
I love it for so many reasons.
It’s solving a problem.
It’s doing it in lateral, not literal ways.
It was expressed with craft, care and a point of view.
It went beyond the usual forms of communication, showing how creativity can push minds and possibilities.
I cannot tell you how happy this makes me.
Almost makes me feel positive and optimistic.
Now that is real creative effectiveness.
Enjoy.
Filed under: Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Comment, Communication Strategy, Content, Context, Crap Campaigns In History, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Emotion, Management, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Professionalism, Relevance, Resonance
So while going through my photos, I found this screen grab from Dave Trott …
To be honest, I wrote about this a couple of years ago but if it was relevant then, it seems even more relevant now.
There is more and more work that just seems to be a literal execution of the client brief.
Not even the agency brief … but the clients.
Literal.
Contrived.
Feature focused.
I can’t help but feel their strategy is to bore people into submission, and while it may be argued this approach is working – probably because all the competition are following the same thing – the reality is the value of the brand gets diluted and so the long term success of the brand ends up being based on factors like price or distribution.
Of course, price and distribution always have and always will play a critical role in a brands success, but the inherent value of it is elevated hugely when you are in a position that people actively want it and seek it out. Yet, as I wrote a while back, it appears many brand managers are only focused on sales today without any consideration for the sustainable value of the brand tomorrow and if you are constantly harvesting your good will, eventually it will run out.
The big issue is so many marketers still think people are waiting for them to advertise.
That they are sat on the edge of their seat waiting to hear from them and buy from them.
That they have nothing better to do and all that they do do, is based on rational logic.
This approach says far more about the people behind the brands than the people they hope will buy from them and while I appreciate creativity requires a leap of faith – something some marketing folk weirdly feel is an act of corporate irresponsibility – the fact is society respond to [authentic] emotion far more than rational argument, at least in terms of communication, and so if they want their brand to move forward, the only thing that can counter spend, heritage and distribution is to embrace creativity and to do that properly, it means being Lateral, not literal.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Brand Suicide, Communication Strategy, Corporate Evil, Crap Campaigns In History, Crap Products In History, Creativity, Culture, Fake Attitude, Marketing, Marketing Fail
So I saw this ad recently in Amsterdam airport.
Now maybe it’s just me, but when I think of Jimmy Choo – I think of expensive women shoes, so when I think of Jimmy Choo as a male fragrance – I think of an expensive scent that smells of women’s feet.
I’m not sure this is the product expansion they went to do. Yet.
Another thing they shouldn’t have done is use the words, URBAN HERO.
No offense Jimmy Choo … but they are the least appropriate words that could ever be used in connection with your brand.
Urban?
URBAN????
You have spent years banging on about how the Jimmy Choo universe is one filled with galas and fashion shows.
Even the image shows the bloke [cut off at the ankles I note] sitting in front of some pristine, clinical ‘feature’.
Sorry, but you’re about as urban as Prince Andrew claiming he had Pizza Express in Woking.
And then there’s the word hero.
Hero?
Hero of what exactly?
Pretentious pricks?
Put them together and you get more evidence that many – but not all – who operate in the fashion world are more out of their head than any member of the Happy Mondays at their musical peak.
I hate everything about this ad.
EVERYTHING.
But then given they have made it about a man who smells of women’s feet and called him an urban hero, I don’t think I will have to worry about it being around for too long.