Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Colenso, Creativity, Culture, Professionalism
A few weeks ago I came to the office and found a drawing on my desk.
Putting aside that the drawing makes Si look more like a snowman than our CCO, I’m wondering why someone thinks he is looking at me have a ‘pee pee’.
Or maybe it’s something more sinister …
What if it was Si who drew this?
Is this an HR offence?
Probably … but let’s be honest, I’ve done much worse.
Not in terms of looking at my colleagues going to the loo – just in case Colenso lawyers are reading this – but in terms of questionable professionalism.
Which just leaves me with one thing to say …
Thank god Si is a writer, because he sure as hell isn’t am artist.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Age, Attitude & Aptitude, Brilliant Marketing Ideas In History, Context, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Cunning, Environment, Media, Mischief, Sport
A few weeks ago I saw something on twitter that has deeply conflicted me.
It was this …
That’s right, they’re lawn bowl mats … sponsored by Co-op Funerals.
Now I don’t know much about bowls.
I know they attract a much broader age of ‘player’ these days, but I’m still pretty sure the majority still are of the more elderly variety.
And given I’m 52, we’re talking proper old.
I could be wrong.
But given someone thought it was a good idea for Co-op funerals to sponsor the mat, it seems I may not be. And this is what has had me conflicted for weeks.
On one hand, it’s just fucking genius isn’t it.
Old people.
Funerals.
Chance to make arrangements before someone else has to.
But it’s also just a bit evil, isn’t it?
Old people.
Out enjoying themselves.
Message to remind them of their impending demise.
If I allowed comments, this is the sort of post where I know they would come into their own. But I don’t … which means I’ll be getting extra emails of commentary and abuse from the same people who used to do that on here.
And I don’t mind admitting I’m quite excited about that, And quite interested in what they’ll say.
Because I have the sneaky suspicion they may think it’s clever.
And that old people may find it both slightly amusing and kinda useful.
And that by doing something like this, it becomes a social media campaign by fact of it being infinitely shareable.
Or … they may say no one will give a shit because all it will be to them is a free mat so they can rest their knee as they try to destroy that prick from up the road who always seems to win.
But to whoever did this, I admire both your smarts and your mischief … because I haven’t seen something so perfect since [I think] Naked got their client – cheap meat in a can maker – Fray Bentos to sponsor some local Darts Players.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Brand Suicide, Campaign Magazine, Chris Jaques, Colenso, Communication Strategy, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Planning, R/GA, Wieden+Kennedy
I have always found it rather amusing that occasionally the industry press has shown an interest in what I’m doing – or done.
Even now, my first reaction is, “don’t you mean the other Rob Campbell, who started RKCR Y&R?”
And while occasionally the answer is, “yes, we do mean him” … I have approached any interaction with my tongue, generally in my cheek.
Hence I’ve said if I was a Star Wars character, I’d be Darth Vader.
I’ve felt fine writing sarcastic responses to discipline assassination.
And I showed no shame saying the word ‘wank’ in response to a new business win.
To be fair, Campaign Magazine – where a lot of this madness took part – played their part in the relationship by running pieces questioning if my wife was real and if I was having an affair with a reindeer.
I say all this because a friend sent me something he had just found in an old edition of Campaign in Asia …
Apart from the fact that I was at Y&R Asia 16 years ago, so I’m wondering why on earth anyone would keep a copy of Campaign that long … it did make me smile.
Yes, I used to use the word ‘toptastic’ a lot.
A. LOT.
And yes, I can absolutely see myself saying that, even though I LOVED Mediaworks and would do it again in a heartbeat.
But more than that – and I appreciate how egotistical this makes me sound – it was nice to see a bit of humour in an industry that is quickly going up its own arse.
Yes, what we do is important.
Yes, we need companies to recognise we care about their longterm wellbeing.
But for an industry that is supposed to understand how to connect commerce to culture … this overly serious, overly complex, overly monotone approach to all we do isn’t helping.
I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t take what we do seriously, but maybe if we stopped taking ourselves so seriously – so we can resonate with culture rather than patronise them – we may end up with better work and better results.
And by god, could we do with that.
Though I appreciate this may simply be my attempt to reframe my industry ridiculousness as professional, so should Otis ever see it, he won’t think his Dad was a total lunatic.
Maybe.
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National holiday on Monday, so see you Tuesday. That is if anyone reads this blog anymore – I have no idea. [Which is probably a very good thing, ha]
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Apathy, Attitude & Aptitude, Business, Culture, Egovertising, Management, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Respect
Scale.
A single word that has become the barrier to so much.
How big can you get it?
How much can you make it worth?
How do you plan to expand, expand, expand.
Now I get it …
If you want – or need – investors, they want to feel their cash will grow.
But the by-product of this is that scale has now become the measure we define ourselves by.
If it’s not big, it’s not worth it.
If it’s not the largest, it’s not the greatest.
If it isn’t known around the world, it’s not worth caring about.
And I’m not just talking in terms of investment, but in so many fields.
Advertising is one of them.
And I certainly have been guilty of it.
Thinking working on global brands meant I was somehow better than those who worked on more local clients.
But thankfully, I quickly learned that was bollocks.
Because on top of everything else, far too often global brands are a shitshow of politics and hierarchy.
Wading through pools of treacle.
That are located inside a maze.
Constantly being moved around.
In the dark.
All in a bid to delay making a decision.
Because not pissing off your boss is more important than creating value for customers.
Which is why for all the NIKE’s, Spotify’s and Metallica’s there’s a whole lot more … well. let’s just say there’s a whole lot more of those other sort of global clients.
And while I’ve been luckier than most with the global clients I’ve worked with – which is fortunate given most of my career has been working with them – the reality is it’s got nothing to do with their scale and everything to do with the values and aspirations of the individuals you’re working with.
That doesn’t mean they don’t want to grow … of course they do and that’s what they’re paying you to help them achieve it.
However growth and scale are different things.
Growth is building, evolving, creating and changing.
Scale is power, speed, conformity and consistency,
And that’s why people focused on scale, can tend to get blinkered …
Focusing on speed and size rather than standards and substance.
And before you know it, they’re churning out all manner of communication landfill, because they believe being something for everyone is better than being everything to someone.
Which is why I love this small hole-in-the-wall store I saw not so long ago.
I have no idea how many people need a quick buttonhole service …
I appreciate the sign is a ramshackle mess.
And yet it made me so happy because the shop looks like it’s been there for a long time which suggests the owner has built a position and value within the community they serve.
Where ‘quick’ is more a by-product of their experience rather than the objective of why they’re in business.
Maybe.
And while I could be completely wrong about them, the reason I love it is because it reminds me that we should celebrate business who wish to live up to a standard not down to a scale.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Communication Strategy, Creativity, Culture, Cunning, Film
I bloody love this idea.
If they ever get round to reissuing the movie, I really hope they do it.
Hell, I’d even happily pay to help justify the joke. But I’m strange like that.
That said, I’m surprised Hollywood hadn’t thought of doing this before.
Let’s be honest, their current business plan appears to be ‘remake once popular movies [and some, not so popular] rather than investing in new ideas’. So reissuing the brilliant Groundhog Day but calling it a sequel, sounds like their Holy Grail.
Either way, it would be a brilliant example of how to use a brand idea … because for all the claims out there from agencies and brands about creating ‘big, sustainable, long-term brand platforms, we don’t see that nearly as much as we could. Or should.