Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Birkenstocks, Brand, Brilliant Marketing Ideas In History, Cannes, Communication Strategy, Context, Creativity, Culture, Dysgraphia, Empathy, EvilGenius, Fear, Holiday, Imagination, Marketing, Martin Weigel, Otis, Paula
So I’m back.
And after an October where I went to Fiji, Australia, China and America … November is wonderfully static.
Don’t get me wrong, I love travelling … but that was ridiculous.
For all the talk of how COVID would change the way companies would work and interact, I’m meeting more and more people who are travelling more than they did pre-pandemic.
And that’s scary for a whole lot of reasons.
Personal, environmental, commercial.
Scarier than the that day where ghosts and ghouls are supposed to come out and haunt us. Also known as the day kids keep coming to your door demanding sweets.
Yes … that’s a terrible link to the point of this post, but I wrote it to originally appear on Halloween, but then I went to the US and missed my chance, so here we go.
Halloween in NZ is definitely less full-on than the US.
Oh my god … they love holidays and Halloween is one they embrace full-on.
When we lived in Manhattan Beach … it was like a community event.
The whole street would basically come out, all dressed in god-knows what, embracing the mood and the moment.
Obviously I hate that level of sociability … but even I got caught up in it, buying a ridiculously sized baby head from a shop, which I tried on in the car before casually looking to my right and seeing [1] I was next to a bank and [2] I had a security guard looking at me as if I was going to rob the joint.
Good times. Ahem.
Anyway, to keep with the ‘scary’ mood, Otis recently became the proud owner of these …
Yep … Crocs.
Fucking Crocs.
I know we talked about them recently in our ‘Strategy is constipated, imagination is the laxative’ talk … I know I have some sort of grudging respect that they are cool with charging $8 for each ‘personalised attachment’ you can add to the shoes … I know, with Otis’ dysgraphia, they are much easier for him to put on than many others … I know I can’t talk with my love of Birkies … but, but, but THEY’RE FUCKING CROCS.
Seriously, compared to them, Birkenstocks are liked pieces of art.
And yet they continue to live.
To thrive.
Like cockroaches of the footwear category.
Which means I have to salute their brand management and imagination.
Which is better than 99% of brands out there.
Which is why we put them in our Cannes talk.
And why I felt scared enough to put them in a post that was supposed to appear on halloween.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Collegues, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Cynic, Management, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Nike, Planners, Planning, Point Of View, Professionalism, Relationships, Reputation
So this is the last post till next Thursday.
I know … I know … I’ve only just come back from China but now I’m off to the US, so you get 3 more days free from me. Given this month has had an alarming lack of posts given I’ve found myself in Fiji, Australia, China and America, you should consider October my early Christmas present to you all.
So to make up for that, here’s a relatively long post.
Which by my standards, means extra long.
So recently I caught up with an ex-colleague from cynic.
Given they were a bloody nightmare when we worked together, I’m still in shock how they are now a very senior figure in a very high profile company.
Damn them, hahaha.
Anyway, we were chatting and they said how bad they thought agencies were in pitches.
Specifically, their desperation to be liked.
They said they thought the business plan for many agencies is to out-pander the competition.
It got so bad that apparently in a recent meeting, they asked the agency:
“If we’re so good and doing so well, why would we need you?”
Aggressive?
Provocative?
Yep … but they have a point.
I remember once being told to not challenge the clients previous work as someone in the room might have made it … even though we were literally in a pitch to reinvent the clients work.
And while it was an exception in my career [which I ignored and – guess what – we won!!!] the reality is I am hearing this happening more and more, which is why my friends commentedjust seemed to underline its validity.
Which leads me to some questions …
What do agencies think our job is?
What do agencies want to do and change?
And for the companies that buy into this, what do they want their agencies to do for them?
I appreciate I have been incredibly fortunate throughout my career by working with/for/under people, agencies and clients [not to mention my parents] who deeply value debate and provocation to get to better places. I also acknowledge there is an art to HOW you challenge … rather than go in with fists and elbows.
But the idea of pandering rather than provoking seems insane to me.
Sure, you have to have a point of view rather than just have a desire to be controversial … but while you can’t be blind to the good stuff people are doing, neither should you be to the bad.
I swear part of the problem is this attitude we are part of the ‘service’ industry.
That our job is to serve.
To stay silent.
To satisfy needs.
And while we are there to serve our clients … it’s in the quest of helping them be better, not be subservient to. But increasingly it feels that is what a lot of people are expecting – and why a lot of agencies are pandering – which is why I will always treasure something my brilliant ex-NIKE/FFI client and friend – Simon Pestridge – once said to me:
“Middle management want to be told they’re right. Senior management want to know how to be better”.
He’s right.
He’s never been more right.
It’s why the people who worked for him are also great clients … because he set great standards, of which one of them was understanding that transparency, truth and challenge are ultimate signs of respect not confrontation.
Debate isn’t bad.
In my mind, it means you both want to get to somewhere better.
Where you’re holding each other to standards and ambitions you hold dear.
Of course, to do this properly you need to share ambition, standards and trust … not just philosophically, but in terms of the actual work and change you want to create together.
I mean … if you can’t be provocative during a pitch – when a client is literally looking for new ideas – when the hell can you be?
Which all reinforces something my parents used to say to me …
Everyone wants to be liked, but you go further when you’re respected.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Context, Creativity, Culture, England, Police, Resonance
For all the talk of creativity, what is often not acknowledges is it starts with the brain.
Regardless whether we make art or come up with a lateral solution to a complex problem … creativity is born from the mind.
Sometimes it’s because we have given something a lot of thought.
Sometimes it’s because we actively choose not to fall into logic and tropes.
Sometimes it’s because we see the world differently.
But at the start of everything interesting, is the brain.
I say this because I read something that a UK supermarket is doing to combat shoplifting.
As is the case in many countries, the UK is suffering from a shoplifting epidemic.
While some of this is from organised gangs, petty thieves and bored-to-fuck teens, the economic situation is forcing people who would never have previously stolen anything, turning to crime to feed their family.
Of course, the Tory Government who got the country in this mess are vilifying these people … and while I am not advocating crime, I don’t advocate people living with hunger, desperation and no future either.
That said, it’s got so bad that – as the picture above shows – even blocks of cheese are now being alarmed, so Waitrose, the British Supermarket, have turned to creativity to help solve their problem.
[I should point out given the profits supermarkets make – especially over COVID – I am also not entirely sympathetic to their ‘struggle’, but I do feel for the people who work there and I like this idea, hence this post]
So based on the view that a Police presence reduces the chance of crime, Waitrose are offering all Police Officers on duty, free coffee.
Their hope is that by having Police cars parked outside and Police officers inside, petty thieves will be deterred from trying to steal.
Of course, given the lack of trust – or fear – so many now view the authorities, maybe it will all be in vain … or worse, will ‘gamify’ the shoplifting experience … but it’s certainly a better and cheaper idea than locking up every single food item.
They’re calling this promotion, ‘thanks a latte’.
Terrible name, interesting idea.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Apathy, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Brand, Business, Communication Strategy, Content, Context, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Entertainment, Environment, Marketing, Mediocrity, Music, Relevance, Resonance, Respect
Hello daaaaarlings, I’m back.
What an amazing week.
I met so many incredible people and not one of them looked too disgusted at my outfits … except the designer from Celine, but then I was wearing a t-shirt featuring an image of my cat.
She literally asked, “which designer is that” … and when I told her it wasn’t a designer, it was my 16 year old cat, she smiled a smile that failed to convey her utter fear – to which she made her excuses and got the hell away from me, hahahaha.
That aside, the conference was a celebration of creativity and the stories that inspire it … which may explain why I loved the tweet – from Nick Beggs, at the top of this page – so much.
For those who don’t know who Nick is, he’s the virtuoso bass player who was once in the band Kajagoogoo.
This is what Kajagoogoo looked like.
For reference, Nick is the blonde spiky haired guy in the middle.
And for those who don’t know what the ‘Too Shy’ he’s refereeing to is … it’s this.
Oh – and finally – if you’re wondering why I called him a bass playing virtuoso, it’s because of this … playing with another 80’s icon, Howard Jones./font>
But the reason I love this tweet is not because I’m a fan of Nick or Kajagoogoo or even Howard – it’s because of that photo he posted.
Look at it.
A nondescript flat.
Nothing fancy. Nothing grand.
A place like millions all across England.
Filled with everyday people from all walks of life.
Likely struggling to balance the never-ending demands of life.
And yet, in 1982, some young guys got together and wrote one of the iconic songs of the 80’s.
Changing their life and creating a legacy.
And that’s what I think is so fucking fantastic about it …
A reminder that while so many in our industry like to talk about the processes and eco-systems, the reality of creativity is its born from environments – both physical and personal.
We are in danger of forgetting that.
We will be – and are – worse off for following that.
Hiring an ever-ending production line of similar people.
Putting the same set of case-studies on the same pedestals.
Following the same group of ‘best practice’ models that get us to the same places.
Forcing creativity to fit inside structures designed for convenience rather than connection.
People in power valuing duplication, rather than originality.
It’s why creating the conditions for creativity to thrive is not some sort of superficial vanity.
It’s total, fucking sanity.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, America, Comment, Craft, Creativity, Culture, Design
Recently I met someone called Jim, who designs – among other things – barbed wire.
When I was introduced to him, I first thought it was a pisstake.
I never thought of barbed wire being something designed … and I certainly didn’t think there would be different versions of it … but apparently there is, as demonstrated by the photo above that shows different barbed wire over the years.
But once I realised I was not part of an elaborate prank, I found the whole conversation with Jim fascinating. In his view, barbed wire is misunderstood … because while it is there to stop elements getting in – or out – its role is closer to survival than security.
Jim told me how the inventor of barbed wire – Lucien Smith – created it as a simple and effective way to keep cattle from straying. Prior to this, there was no practical or effective way to enclose vast amounts of land and so they had to engage in huge cattle drives for transporting – and controlling – cattle.
But with the invention of barbed wire, this all changed … to the point Jim regards barbed wire as playing a pivotal role in creating settlements across the American plains … which in turn, led to the creation of towns and cities.
As you may have worked out, Jim is a bit of an anorak where barbed wire is concerned … but I bloody loved the conversation – not to mention the way he approached barbed wire design – which all acts as a great reminder that while we all like to talk about creativity, there’s far more of it happening outside of the ad industry than inside it, and yet so little of the conversation ever acknowledges it, let alone celebrates it.