Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Comment, Creativity, Love
Once upon a time, I worked with a very talented creative from Mexico called Jorge.
He is the most amazing conceptual designer that I’ve ever worked with.
His history of work is incredible …
From the Coke Side of Life stuff to the Oreo Wonderfilled campaigns of the past.
Hell, I even wrote about some of his work before I even knew it was his work.
Everything he does has a strong sense for distinctive design and sophisticated craft.
He is also the person behind that picture at the top of this post.
Yep, a picture of a cover of a book about how much of an asshole I am.
And while I appreciate I can definitely be one, he isn’t calling me this because we didn’t like working together.
OK, so sometimes we argued, but generally we were a great team.
Hell, there are some meetings that have gone down into folklore. Or at least for us.
So why has he drawn that picture?
For one simple reason … I think he is a handsome bastard.
Actually, he’s not just any handsome bastard, he looks like that handsome bastard in Love Actually … Rodrigo Santoro.
This guy …
Look at him!!
How gorgeous is that.
OK, that’s not him, but it’s as good as being him.
Plus he’s charming too. OK, he can definitely be a bit of a prick [just ask his wonderful wife] but overall, he’s pretty awesome.
Anyway, because I thought he looked so much like AN INTERNATIONAL MOVIE STAR, I wanted to celebrate the fact … so I started getting some things made with his and Rodrigo’s face on it.
Badges.
Posters.
Packing tape.
That’s quite the compliment isn’t it?
Hell, I spent my own money on celebrating his face.
But did he like it? Did he bollocks.
He hated it.
He loathed it.
He felt it was an affront to his dignity.
To his talent.
Hence the book he made for my last birthday.
And while I get his point, it’s always the beautiful people who complain about being attractive isn’t it? Just like it’s only the 40 year olds who say “40 is the new 30”.
Try having a face like a dropped pie and a modicum of talent.
Yeah … try that Jorge and still be upset someone thinks you’re great.
Let me tell you. It doesn’t happen.
EVER.
And while I accept this post is a bit weird and may have a lot to do it being written at 4 in the morning while feeling utterly delirious, I am choosing to claim – and will stick to this argument, even if forced to appear in a court of law – that it proves something else.
Something the industry has always suspected, but never been able to confirm.
Creatives are weirdos. Thank god.
______________________________________________________________________________________
I am so sorry Jorge. But at least I know Ana will find if funny.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Agency Culture, Apathy, Apple, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Brand, Brand Suicide, Comment, Communication Strategy, Craft, Creativity, Culture, Egovertising, Fake Attitude, Honesty, Innovation, Insight, Loyalty, Management, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Presenting, Professionalism, Relevance, Resonance, Standards
One of the things I’ve found fascinating over the years is how many companies think all they need to do to keep employees happy is cash and perks.
Don’t get me wrong, cash and perks are very nice – and for some people, that’s all they need – however for a certain type of employee, there is another attribute that has equal, if not even greater, appeal.
Pride.
Pride in what they do.
Pride in how they do it.
Pride in who they do it for.
Pride in who they work with.
Pride in the actions of the past.
Pride in the ambitions for the future.
Pride in the standards the company lives by.
Pride in the companies standing in their field.
Now I get the C-Suite may like to think their employees are proud working for them – probably reinforced by countless questionable ‘monkey surveys’ sent by HR – however more often than not, they are confusing ‘having a job’ with ‘being proud of the job they have’.
Nothing highlights this more than when a company feels morale is down, because that’s the moment the spot-bonuses and/or impromptu office parties begin.
Does it work?
Sure. For a period of time.
However employees are no fools, they know the real reason for these ‘additional benefits’ is to keep them quiet rather than force the C-Suite to open up a set of issues they absolutely don’t want to have to deal with.
Why?
Because in the main, the issues are about them.
Specially the work they aspire for the company to make.
Look I get it … no one likes to face their potential failings, so if they can avoid it with spending a bit of cash, why wouldn’t they?
Well I’ll tell you why, because money can’t buy pride.
I say this because I recently saw a video of Steve Jobs talking about standards.
He’s made similar speeches over the years – with his ‘paint behind the fence’ being one of my favourites.
However I love this one because there’s a bit of bite in it.
A clear perspective on what standards he holds Apple too, rather than what the competition hold themselves too.
Sure, to some it could come across as arrogant, but I imagine to the people at Apple at that time, it induced the same feelings I have when I work for a company whose standards and ambitions were at least the same as mine or – hopefully – even higher.
Pride.
Confident.
Togetherness.
A sense of ‘us against them’.
That feeling you’re part of a place playing a totally different game to the competition. A special place. A place that does things right, even if people don’t quite get it yet. A place that attracts the best to do their best … but not in a way where you then feel ‘you’ve made it’ for being there. Instead, it’s a feeling of responsibility to keep the standards of name moving forwards. An intoxicating mix of expectation, judgement and encouragement all at the same time.
You can’t fake that.
You can’t buy it either.
So when the C-suite hand out promotions, payrises and parties in a bid to boost morale because the claims of doing great work are not convincing anyone … my advice is to save their cash.
Not just because the employees know exactly what they’re doing.
Nor because whatever they end up receiving, it still won’t buy their pride.
But because they could save a ton of cash by simply committing to doing things to the highest standards rather than the lowest … because at the end of the day, these people don’t need certainty, they just want possible and if they have that, morale will fix itself all by itself.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Comment, Communication Strategy, Confidence, Creativity, Cunning, Devious Strategy, Imagination, Marketing
During these COVID times, we’ve heard a bunch of terms that are supposedly the foundation of survival – the most widely used being ‘pivot’.
While I get it, the problem I have with this terminology is that it is expressed in such a way as to suggest people or organisations should be willing to let go of everything they have been doing for decades and embark on a totally different activity that may have more important commercial value at that time.
Been an airline for 80 years?
Let it go and start delivering groceries.
Been in hospitality for 3 decades?
Let it go and start working in a supermarket
Been in finance for the last 5 years?
Actually – stay as you are – you’re always going to find a way to make money.
OK, so I’m exaggerating … but I have read so many decks from strategists who throw around buzzwords without either seemingly understanding what they’re actually saying in them or – worse – what the implications would be if people actually did what they said.
Reframing your proposition is not pivoting. It’s reframing your proposition to existing or potential clients.
It’s airlines moving from carrying passengers to carrying freight.
Or restaurants moving from eating in to delivering out.
Pivoting is a fundamental change of direction … and who the fuck would do that?
Well I say that but then I saw this …
Yep, this person is a human pivot.
From digital marketing to being a magician with almost every profession in-between … including MIND READING!!!
From my perspective, he can never be out of work.
Not just because his range of talents means he’ll always be useful to someone – from boardrooms to kids parties – but because if you can mind-read, I expect every one of this marketing recommendations is EXACTLY what clients want.
Maybe this is what planners should be learning instead of frameworks and tools?
Forget my rant from a few weeks back and get down the local magic club to learn a few tricks. Hell, at the very least you could say, “my marketing ideas are magic”.
Just for the record, I’m not taking the piss out of this person – I genuinely think it’s amazing.
But there are 2 questions I would love to know.
1. Which came first, the magician/mindreading or the marketing?
2. Does this broad range of talents attract or repel potential clients?
I admit I noticed him because of his breadth of skills – and in the old days, I did a similar thing by making sure my resume mentioned how I used to be a session guitarist for 80/90’s popstars – however while that captured potential employers attention, I don’t think they would have called me in for interviews if they felt that was still my life.
Who knows, I just find it fascinating this individual openly communicates they’re in the consultancy world and the trickery world [yes, I know, I’m calling out the legitimacy of magic] so I’d love to know more about his story, which – in this competitive world where everyone is being told to pivot – means he’s already ahead of many in the pack.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Cannes, Comment, Creativity, Culture, Innovation
So recently I was reading a case study paper for a creative campaign.
I have to say, the way it was written was very good.
It sounded like they had genuinely created an idea that was driving fundamental change.
The paper was full of superlatives.
Full of audacious claims.
It was also full of shit.
Stripping things back, all they had actually done was launch a PR campaign with a big and exciting sounding name.
I’m not saying it wasn’t effective.
Nor am I saying it was bad.
But compared to what was claimed, it was pants.
But what made it really stand out was the following paper I read.
It was equally well written, but this was without hyperbole.
Don’t get me wrong, they weren’t playing down what they had created they just weren’t trying to insinuate it was the second coming of Christ.
Which was interesting, because it was genuinely using creativity in a powerful, effective and interesting way.
All wrapped up with a campaign name that was almost deceptively simple.
Having been on a lot of creative and effectiveness judging panels over the years, I’ve seen this time and time again which has led me to forming what I will call – for ego reasons and the novelty of it not being associated with being in trouble with the authorities – Campbell’s Law.
Campbell’s Law states:
The more grandiose or superlative-ridden a creative campaign name or description is given, the more boring and safe the reality of the execution.
I assure you, should you be invited to any future creative judging panel, it will save you sooooooo much time going through all the submissions.
You’re welcome.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Brand, Brand Suicide, Business, Chaos, China, Colenso, Comment, Communication Strategy, Creativity, Culture, Deutsch, Diversity, Emotion, Empathy, Experience, Family, Imagination, Innovation, Insight, Jill, London, Management, Marketing, Martin Weigel, Metallica, Nike, Otis, Planners, Planning, Point Of View, Purpose, R/GA, Shanghai, Singapore, Social Divide, Sport, Technology, The Kennedys, The Kennedys Shanghai, WeigelCampbell, Wieden+Kennedy
When you’re my age, you get to look at your career and see the different phases that it passes through.
I remember one year at Wieden, we seemed to make more beautiful, highly-crafted physical books on culture than we did ads.
Now I’m a huge fan of these – and still do them – but that year I think we made about 10, which was frankly ridiculous.
Then there was the year I got told I’d spoken at more conferences than anyone at Wieden.
It wasn’t said as a diss, more a fact – though I do remember Luhr looking at me with the face of someone who couldn’t work out why anyone would want me to talk at their event.
He wasn’t wrong.
Then there was the year I seemed to be in every bloody Asian marketing book or article and then of course, The Kennedys.
It happens. It’s rarely an intentional thing, but the nature of the business means it can be like that … and while I’ll always prefer to be involved in creating stuff, it does let you feel things are evolving and that’s a good feeling.
Well this year is another one of those years.
Part of this is because of the situation the World is in and part of it is because of the situation I have found myself in.
However, whereas previous years have seemingly had singular focuses, this year has had two.
Icons of culture and podcasts.
Both have been pretty awesome.
Musicians … Fashion superstars … Gaming Royalty … Billionaires.
Frankly people who should know a lot better than to ever want me to work with them … and yet, for reasons I don’t understand but am utterly grateful for, they have.
It’s certainly very different to the work I’ve done in the past, but it not only is introducing me to a whole new world of creative expression – from developing new concert experiences to video game design to stuff that is genuinely almost impossible for me to describe as it’s just plain beautifully bonkers – it’s letting me work with people who are recognised as being the best in their field so to be in this position … and to have Colenso to look forward to in addition … feels like winning the lottery.
I know this all sounds like humble bragging – but that’s not the intent.
To be honest, it’s more about me writing it down so I never forget this feeling.
This moment.
Because as tough as it is for people all around the World, I am very, very fortunate so many good things have come my way.
But that’s not what this post is about, it’s about the other thing I’ve been doing a lot of.
Podcasts.
I’ve done a ton this year.
[Here and here and here for example]
Why people want to hear from me – especially when I write so much bollocks about my life on here – is another thing I don’t get … but it’s been fun.
Recently the lovely/stupid people at Colenso had chat with me for their Love This podcast …
We cover all manner of subjects … from running a planning gang to developing creativity in a pandemic to how to be a fucking idiot … so if you’re bored, an insomniac or are jealous of Colenso’s brilliance and are looking forward to the pain they’ll experience with me in the building, you can listen to it at one of these places.
Apple.
Spotify.
Soundcloud.