Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Communication Strategy, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Nike, Sport
My 8 year old, Otis, loves Rubik’s Cubes.
LOVES THEM.
Not only that, he’s bloody good at them.
To give you an idea of how good, take a look at this …
I know he’s my son, but that’s pretty amazing.
Hell, even when he shows me how to do it – move by move – I fail, and yet he can do it blindfolded!!!
Now it’s not just him that loves cubing, it’s back in a big way. A whole subculture that is thriving and evolving.
From Youtube influencers like Cubehead – with almost a million followers on Youtube – to more types of cubes than you could ever imagine.
From heat activated.
To shape-shifting.
To digital screens.
To a whole host of customisable cubes in different sizes and shapes to increase performance for competitions … competitions, that are literally being held in every country around the world.
Hell, even Nike have just released a shoe in cube colours to connect to its growth.
This last point is particularly interesting to me because I see more and more sports brands moving away from ‘competition’ to promote participation in an attempt to connect to a generation who are walking away from physical sports.
Except they’re missing the point …
You see recently I took Otis to a speed-cubing completion in Auckland.
It was packed. Full of kids, parents and adults … all messing with cubes at different standards and speeds.
But while they were all supportive and encouraging to everyone around them, be under no mistake they were competitive. More than that, they wanted to be more competitive.
And here’s what the sports brands are getting wrong.
Kids aren’t afraid of competition, they just want to beat their own limits rather than loudly and publiclly trash someone else’s.
Of course there’s exceptions.
Of course there’s contexts and situations.
But they be in a much better position if they stopped promoting passive participation and got back to what they were always about … just understood the best victory is when you out-compete yourself.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Apathy, Attitude & Aptitude, Brand Suicide, Consultants, Context, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Marketing, Marketing Fail
Once upon a time, there was an ad for John West – a canned food company – that said:
“It’s the fish that John West rejects that makes John West the best”.
And at our recent talk at Cannes, I quoted this from the brilliant Janis Joplin.
And yet, when I look at my industry – an industry that is quick to call out the failings of clients – we’re not really living up to that.
Now of course I appreciate we are in economically challenging times.
And I also appreciate money makes the World go round.
But the decline of our industries power and influence was going on long before this and one of the reasons was because we chased money more than standards.
Or said another way, we sold the value of creativity and cultural understanding for the illusion of importance and association.
On one hand I get it …
As an industry, we have always been paid a fraction of what some others have got, despite – arguably – doing a lot more, or at the very least, the same amount.
But our desire to be seen as a ‘corporate insider’ has destroyed our value as a ‘corporate outsider’.
Where we have the clarity to see where society is going and what they’re valuing. Where we have the objectivity to understand what are the real issues, not what companies wish them to be. Where we have the creativity to know how to connect to people in ways they may actually give a shit about.
But more and more, we are walking away from this.
Complicity is valued more than questions.
Acquiescence is valued more than a point of view.
Toxic positivity is valued more than honesty and transparency.
Now don’t get me wrong, there’s a reason for all this …
Some of our own making, some of clients making.
But for all our talk of believing in creativity … how many really are demonstrating it?
What makes it worse is the creative talent out there is arguably better than at any point in our history.
And that’s why this is not some ‘rose-tinted-looking-backwards’ bullshit – especially as there was a whole host of shit that went on back then – this is a ‘what the hell do we value’ rant.
Once upon a time I was having a bit of a hard time at work.
A lot of it was because of the issues I’ve just written.
I went home and told Jill what was going on and what I was being told when I asked questions … to which she said something that has stuck with me.
“There’s always a reason why they’re not going to do something”.
She was right.
She still is.
Despite being in the incredibly fortunate position to work with highly successful creative people who reside outside of this industry, I still love this industry.
More than that, I still believe in what this industry can do and create.
Hell, it has given me a life that is beyond anything I could have ever imagined for myself.
In fact, almost everything that is in my life is because of what
But right now it seems we’re better at talking good things than doing good things.
And so when things get worse – not just for us, but those who use/dictate to us – we better not complain about who is eating our lunch, because quite frankly, we are doing it, and have been doing it, to ourselves.
Making decisions of convenience not of standards and excitement.
A circle jerk of blinkered and blind complicity.
The good news not everyone is like this.
The even better news is it’s not too late for us all to change.
But the muscle memory may be too old for some to remember. Or worse, care.
Don’t let the financial crisis be another excuse for apathy. That didn’t get us in this mess.
We did.
We all did.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Audio Visual, Authenticity, Childhood, Content, Context, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Freddie, Queen
So very soon, a bunch of Freddie Mercury’s belongings are going to be sold at auction.
And yes, I will be bidding on some … albeit the cheapest stuff that is available.
But if I could, there’s stuff I’d love to have.
From the shoes Freddie wore during Live Aid [which is 38 years today] to the royal cloak and crown he wore on the last Queen tour in 1986 to this …
What you see is one of the pages Freddie used to construct the lyrics and song structure for Bohemian Rhapsody.
The scribbles, the word changes [for example, originally it was going to be called Mongolian Rhapsody] the different keys he saw different parts of the song being performed in.
How amazing is that.
What is even more amazing is that it’s all on a 1974 calendar deskpad for British Midland Timesavers – which, I assume, was an airline.
Maybe he got it because originally, he worked at an airport as a baggage handler.
Maybe he got it because his parents ended up moving to Nottingham, which is near East Midland’s Airport.
But whatever the reason, for a song that will exist in culture for eternity … it’s pretty amazing it all started on some random notepad.
More than that, there are other songs that also appear on that pad … for example Somebody To Love … which proves what Queen fans have thought for decades, that they are ‘sister songs’ … and then the classic We Are The Champions, which didn’t even get recorded by the band until 3 years later.
Or said another way, one innocuous pad of paper captured three songs that went on to achieve iconic status across generations and genres.
I love it.
Not just because I’m a Queen fan, but it proves imagination and inspiration can be triggered and caught anywhere.
Sure, not everyone will achieve the same quality or impact as Freddie did, but in a world where we are trying to systemize every aspect of creativity … it’s a good reminder that for all the processes, eco-systems, models and frameworks, if we recognize, embrace, develop, work on and trust our imagination, we may find we can start creating ideas that transcend whatever the latest ‘best practice model’ can only wish for.
Not just because best practice is past practice … but because it’s goal is consistency whereas imagination is about liberation.
Now if only I had 1.2 million pounds …
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Content, Context, Corporate Evil, Corporate Gaslighting, Culture, Individuality, Management, Succession, Television
For all the claims TV is dead, we’ve been living through a golden age of it.
Nothing sums that up more than Succession.
What a total masterpiece.
Writing.
Casting.
Acting.
Craft.
All absolutely stellar.
I am genuinely sad it is all done.
I am also convinced Jesse Armstrong is a genuine storytelling genius.
Obviously lots of praise has been rightfully heaped on the show, but I think Peter Friedman – who played Frank in the show – sums it up best …
“There’s been a degree of excellence that one should be wistful about, because I don’t know how soon each of us will find it again.”
Now I’ve had time to relax from the intensity of the final ever episode … I’ve realised there are certain characteristics that connect Succession to the few shows of it’s stature – for example, something like The Wire.
Attention to detail.
The need for the viewer to pay close attention.
The ugly truth of everyday reality.
For all the ‘twists and turns’ the show took you on, nothing should really have been a surprise. It was all laid out in-front of you when you looked at the character of the characters.
The greed.
The arrogance.
The ambition.
The ego.
HBO went to great lengths to understand how this manifests in real life by working with people who are genuinely from these backgrounds.
For example, no one wears a coat because billionaires are always delivered right to the door of where they are going. And no one bends down when leaving a helicopter, because they have spent their life traveling in them that no one fears for their head being chopped off by the rotor blades.
Little things we may not notice but somehow conveys authenticity through actions and behaviours.
It’s why I found Roman’s breakdown towards the end of the series so powerful.
SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT GOT TO THE END.
Watching him fall apart as he realises the person who enabled his arrogant … vulgar … depraved consequence free life is no longer there, was incredible. A car crash of character that you could not take your eyes off that somehow also ignited sympathy you never thought he deserved. And then the final moment … where you witness him recognising that he’s not just free from the bullshit that has fed his life and his vacuous meaning, but that he is finally a true equal with his siblings because of their shared ultimate failure.
It was inspiring.
The whole thing was depressingly inspiring.
And I’ll tell you why … because it was all based on an ugly reality we all know but choose to ignore, and that is the ‘needy crawlers’, win.
If a company has a choice between individuality and complicity, they will generally choose complicity.
Someone who will do their dealing.
Someone who will take the heat.
Someone who knows their place.
Someone who will be obedient.
Obedience is important …
It allows the abdication of guilt for all decisions.
It creates a layer between them and the anger of others.
It ensures they always have support for whatever they choose.
It removes the risk of being challenged, questioned or undermined by those close.
By choosing someone who has an insatiable need to be associated with power and influence, not only do you know they will sacrifice anything – and anyone – to be given access to it, but you can give them the highest of high-profile corporate positions, and be safe in the knowledge they’ll still be subservient to you.
It’s the ugliest of ugly truths.
The most vulgar of corporate realities.
And a perfect expression of what I saw when I lived in America.
People managing up, regardless of consequence or expectation.
People being paid vast amounts for their complicity rather than talent.
People creating fear to ensure they always stay in power and control.
Of course not everyone is like this.
And of course, this is not limited to just the US.
But what made Succession so powerful is that even though it was about billionaires, it reflected what most people have seen or experienced at some time. That regardless of wealth, standing, status or connections … there is always someone we answer to and those who are acquiescent to them will always be the ones they choose to progress.
Despite being a show filled with conniving, untrustworthy, unlikable, spoilt, greedy and entitled bastards … I’m going to miss Succession. Though what makes the loss more bearable is knowing that should I ever need another taste of it, all I have to do is turn to reality to witness the people and companies who trade values and morals for power and control.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Apathy, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Brand Suicide, Business, Comment, Complicity, Confidence, Consultants, Context, Corporate Evil, Corporate Gaslighting, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Fake Attitude, Imposter Syndrome, Leadership, Management, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Mediocrity, Prejudice, Professionalism, Relationships, Relevance, Resonance, Respect, Succession, Toxic Positivity, Trust, Truth
I appreciate that at my age, the title of this post may suggest I’m going to whine about companies overlooking people of a certain age for younger, cheaper, hungrier individuals.
I’m not. I get it.
Not only that, while age and knowledge have some level of interconnectedness … I’ve met countless young people who are bloody brilliant [not relative to their age, just bloody brilliant] as well as plenty of people with ‘experience’ who, frankly, aren’t.
What I’m talking about is the blinkered confidence some companies place in their people simply because they’re their people.
On one hand I suppose I should celebrate it, given its not that long ago that companies overlooked internal capability for the external shiny and new.
And while this post does not reflect any of the clients I specifically work with directly, I am seeing and hearing more and more companies go to this other extreme and worse … enabling a level of arrogance in their people that results in any objectivity they face – regardless of the knowledge and expertise of the person delivering it, let alone the desire to help make things more successful – as a threat.
Complicity is the name of the game these days.
Blind acceptance that whatever the person ‘in charge’ says, is right.
A belief internal employees are better informed about every topic than people who are experts in specific topics … so companies can feel great about themselves.
Of course, the issue with this approach is that when things go wrong – or don’t go right enough – everyone else gets the blame. Not just by the person in charge [which you almost expect] but by the company they work for, despite the fact the only reason they gave this employee the project is because they knew a bit more about a subject than senior management, so they saw them as [1] an expert in the field and [2] a cheaper option that bringing in external expertise.
Now you’d think the fear of this outcome would ensure people would stand up for what they believe is right.
Not because they’re arrogant, but because they know their experience and knowledge can disproportionally benefit the end result.
And some do. At least the really good ones …
But even they are under increasing pressure to go along with the whims and wants of certain people/companies … because the whole industry is seeing more and more work being handed to people and companies who simply say yes to whatever is wanted.
Or said another way, convenience and fawning is more valued then expertise, knowledge and standards.
Now of course, it’s human nature to believe we can do more than we actually can.
We all like to think we are ‘special’.
We all like to be acknowledged as important.
We’ve all heard the ‘fake it till you make it’ philosophy.
But the truly special are the ones who know that however good they are, having people around them who are better than them – in different fields – can make them even more effective.
It’s why the World’s best athletes have coaches.
It’s why the World’s best musicians have producers.
It’s why my brilliant ex-NIKE/FFI client, Simon Pestridge, said: “middle management want to be told they’re right. Senior management want to know how they can be better”.
The reason I say all this is that I recently reached out to one of the best organisational psychologists in the World. They work with the CEO’s of some of the most respected and successful companies in the World including Apple, NIKE, Ferrari and Electronic Arts to name a few.
This is what they said when I talked to them about what I was seeing:
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“I call them professional imposters and the reason so many succeed in corporations is because they target other imposters. It becomes a co-dependent relationship where they ensure their ego, status or promotion opportunities won’t be challenged.”
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To be honest, I was not shocked by their view, I was more shocked by the acknowledgment.
Of course, I probably shouldn’t be. It’s hardly a new phenomenon and we also had one of the most successful shows in TV history shine a light on it …
Succession was a celebration of the role of co-dependence and complicity within organisations.
As I wrote recently, Tom was the epitome of it.
But this post is about Tom before he ‘won’ [even though he is still a pawn to the real power] … this is about Tom when he just wanted to please to win favour. Where he thought nothing of being vicious and vindictive to those beneath him because he knew that didn’t just please the people above him, it let him feel he was above everyone around him.
And so Tom eventually gets promoted beyond his capability …
Where the illusion of power and external fawning is more important to him than pay checks.
Where his belief is he is superior to all, regardless of knowledge or experience.
Where his understanding of situations is the only understanding of a situation.
Yeah, it’s bleak. It’s fucking bleak. Because while Tom was fiction, Trump got to be President of America. And what makes it worse is we all see it. Hell, we’ve probably all been exposed to it. And yet it goes on.
If companies truly want to be great, then they’ve got to kill and stop rewarding toxic positivity … because value will be revealed when they allow more people to say no to them and they say yes to more people.