For some weird reason, I like badges.
I should point out I don’t mean I like wearing them … but having them made for me.
And I don’t mean because I’m some sort of egotistical pervert – not typically, anyway – but because I’m a bit of a prick.
In some ways, it all started because of a sticker.
Or should I say 600 of them …
Remember when I left Wieden+Kennedy and hid them throughout the agency and venues where we used to hang out?
That moment of mischief – which is still being discovered – set off a bit of bomb in me and suddenly having customised shit made for my colleagues became a thing.
There was the stickers to the wonderfully talented Jorge – simply because I thought he looked like the handsome actor in the movie ‘Love Actually’.
Then there was the first badge.
For Zaid.
Which I had done because I was experiencing some sort of delusional tiredness at 4am – stuck in a horrible room in a snowed in hotel in Boston.
Then I made stickers for Otis – in his genuine Chinese fighter pilot helmet – before making some more badges for everyone at Deutsch when I left the US.
Of course, when I started at R/GA … I thought the best way to introduce myself to the team was by having a set of stickers made that communicate my philosophy on planning that they can vandalise their slick Apple Macs with.
And then I decided to up my game by having some pencils made.
Initially it was for my R/GA mob … just because I thought it was fun.
Then I decided to be an asshole and get Sam and Mike some individual pencils – all aimed at taking the piss out of Sam, mainly because he is a Spurs fan.
Which leads to this …
A few months ago, the wonderful Megan came to join the team as a connections planner – also known as a comms planner in the industry.
She’s smart, creative and horribly lovely.
Or so we thought.
Because over the weeks, we have seen a new side to Megan reveal itself.
A cheeky bastard, suffer no fools side.
I love it.
Recently we were in a meeting with an another agency and they presented their ‘model for working’.
It was absolute pants, so you can imagine my joy when Megan snorted loudly at it in front of everyone.
Or the guy from a consultancy who had literally repackaged Byron Sharp’s work as his own, but was using it completely out of context.
I turned to see what Megan thought of what he was saying and it was the best ‘disgust’ face I’ve seen in ages.
Hands behind head.
Face looking like it was being violated with the worst smell in the World.
It was quite frankly, wonderful – especially when she uttered the following words …
“So what you’re saying is basically the same as Byron Sharp isn’t it?”
Proud.
So proud I needed to commemorate the event with this …
That’s right, Megan’s own ‘what the fuck is this shit’ face … on a badge.
To be kept forever.
She is so grateful. She just is hiding it well.
Very, very well.