Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Film, Fulfillment, Guns
I love Nicholas Cage.
Yes, I know he’s become a caricature of himself.
Yes, I know he’s not made a good movie in an age.
But my god – whether the movie is good or bad – you remember him.
One of my favourite movies with him in it is one of my favourite movies.
Lord of War.
It is arguably the last great movie he made.
It’s the story of a global arms dealer – Yuri Orlov – however the reality is the lead character, played by Cage, is an amalgamation of a number of real life ‘Lords of War’ with many of the scenes in the movie being based on true stories.
In fact, the way they made the movie – specifically the tank scene – is worthy of its own film.
But that’s not what this post is really about.
It’s about the opening scene to the movie … one of the best opening scenes ever made.
People talk about the opening credits of Seven … or Limitless … but while they set the mood, they don’t tell a story … and this does it brilliantly. The story that set ups the story you’re going to watch.
I can’t remember how they previewed the movie, but I hope they just ran this because it is better than any trailer they could ever have come up with. Mainly because it doesn’t attempt to tell the whole story, it tells just enough to make you want to find out more.
As a trailer should, but generally never.
OK, it’s not totally perfect.
The CGI is not as good – or as impactful – as it would be if they made it today … however the idea of showing the life of a bullet is a masterclass in storytelling.
And film making.
And creating anticipation.
And proof that occasionally, Nicolas Cage, makes the best decisions of anyone.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Freddie, Presenting, Queen
Yes, it’s a photo of Freddie.
But this is not just a tribute to him … well, not really.
The reason I love that photo is the intensity of performance.
The bulging vein. The closed eyes. The focused frown.
This photo was taken from their concert in Montreal, on their 1980/81 ‘The Game’ World Tour.
In fact, it was taken 10 years to the day before Freddie died.
But what I love about the photo is that despite Queen having been touring for years – and that concert coming at the end of an 18 month tour – he’s still bringing everything to the moment.
No short-cuts.
No lacklustre performance.
Just a show designed to leave an audience blown away.
I say this because one of the easiest mistakes agencies make is getting bored of their work before an audience is bored of it. A tiredness of going through the slow process of client acceptance. A hunger to move on to the next thing. Excitement of other opportunities that allow a fresh start.
And I get it. I get it A LOT.
But while playing a concert to 50,000 adoring fans and selling a campaign to a bunch of people in suits is pretty different … passion goes a long way in winning both parties over.
So while things should not take as long as they often do to get over the line … making sure you bring your commitment, focus and passion to meetings can go a long way at winning the audience over to your way of thinking.
And if that doesn’t change things – or worse, you see no desire from your audience to be part of something great – then maybe that’s when you need to adopt another Rockstar trait … which is get on the tour bus, speed out of town, never look back and go find an audience who value you – and will reward you – for being at your best.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Colenso, Comment, Creativity, Culture
… but all idiots do idiotic things.
Yes … I know it’s daft.
Yes … I know it was potentially different.
But my god, these are the stupid things that makes this industry fun.
The weird, the wonderful, the daft and the ridiculous.
I get it – it’s unprofessional and immature – but it also connects and unites. Reminds people they’re not in a corporate job. Gives you memories that you still smile about years later.
I’ve seen, experienced – and probably engaged – in a bunch of stuff that represents this.
OK, there’s some I regret – and a couple I can never, ever tell – but the reality is no one ever got hurt and those moments helped create an environment where everyone felt there were no limits to what was possible.
Hell, one of those stupid moments led to an idea where we created a rollercoaster inside a house in Shanghai for Heineken.
And while I appreciate a bunch of you who read this will see it as some bullshit attempt justify acts of stupidity, seeing a plaque made for someone who swallowed a coin creates a much more inspiring and memorable place to work than the the painfully efficient, contrived and soulless, multi-agency brand buildings favoured by so many these days.
Or maybe that’s just me.
Probably me.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Colenso, Comment, Confidence, Consultants, Content, Context, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Emotion, Empathy, Fake Attitude, HHCL, Imagination, Immaturity, Love, Management, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Only In Adland, Planners, Relationships, Resonance, Respect, Uncommon, WeigelCampbell, Wieden+Kennedy
This is a plant in our office.
I have no idea who owns it.
I must admit I don’t even really like it.
But that sticker …
Oh I like that.
I like it a lot.
Sure, to some it may be stupid.
Or even disrespectful.
But to me, it shows a company where the people within it have a mischievously creative spirit. The sort who spot creative opportunities to do something people will notice, or relate to or just feel for a whole host of reasons.
In just a single word, they found a way to make anyone who sees that little sticker not just see a plant, but a hard-to-please, always demanding, never content, forever dissatisfied pain-in-the-ass plant diva.
In short, they gave a plant a personality.
In one word.
Yes I know I have a ‘history’ with dodgy stickers – and I also loved the time someone at Wieden Shanghai put the sticker ‘freedom’ next to the ground floor button in the lift [which was promptly taken down, probably by the same person who still goes mental when they discover another of my Wieden leaving stickers hidden somewhere in the building despite me having left years ago, hahahaha] … but I particularly love this one.
I love someone thought it was worth doing.
I don’t care they may have given it no thought whatsoever – in fact that makes me like it more – because it’s those little, pointless things that reveals the most important thing you could ever want to know about an agency.
Are you entering a place that has a culture of creativity or a business that sells efficiency processes under the label of creativity?
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Communication Strategy, Confidence, Cunning, Design, EvilGenius, Marketing, New Zealand, Standards
So recently I went to a semi-posh restaurant in Auckland with some clients.
I know this is too much info, but I needed the loo and off I went.
As I walked in, I saw this …
How brilliant is that?!
I bloody loved it and actually burst out laughing.
Fortunately I was able to take a photo without someone walking in and then rushing out to call the Police … but I can imagine Alpha Males seeing this and claiming it is a blatant attack on their human rights. Which – if you ask me – makes it even more perfect.
Of course, whether a restaurant should be happy one of their customers is raving over the interior design of their male loos rather than their food is another thing altogether … but hey, at least I’m raving about something of theirs.
Many companies talk about how brand experience, well … when you make sure your loo leaves a lasting impression on customers for all the right reasons, then you can say you really understand what experience really means.
Not many can.
🔎 🍆