This might be a crazy idea…

We love making brave, exciting, innovative ads. Why?

Because it works. We know it in our hearts, we know it from our own experience and extensive research has proven that creatively awarded campaigns are much, much more effective than non awarded campaigns.¹ They can even shape and become a part of popular culture.

We also know what will make a creatively awarded campaign. The work has got to be evocative. Emotional advertising is far more effective and profitable than rational advertising.²

So why is it that we make so much derivative and rational advertising? Why does everyone from Martin Weigel to David Droga think that the vast majority of what we make is shit?

Because making great advertising means taking risks. ‘Safe’ and rational (or crap) advertising is unfortunately often capable of meeting the short term sales and business objectives that pay our client’s wages and bonuses³. So most clients don’t often take that risk. Why would they? Would you?

And if we are being brutal, they don’t trust us enough to take that risk. Otherwise they would.

So how can we persuade them trust us, to take that risk and go from derivative and rational to brave and emotional?

I think it’s us that need to change.

Talent Imitates, Genius Steals?

The rise of 'circle of life' advertising in reverse chronological order;

Vine, Brands and Advertising.

Vine

I’ve been a big fan of Vine ever since I first discovered it a few weeks ago and although it is clearly still in it’s infancy I’m going to call it now – Vine is going to be big and it’s here to stay. I’m willing to bet it becomes a part of mainstream culture. It is the natural progression of social video. I believe this for several reasons but the three most compelling to me are:

Great Minds Don't Think Alike

Utterly Brilliant. That is all.

Game Changers from the IPA Modern Briefing: 2

Last night’s IPA Modern Briefing (2: The Clients Talk Back) conference was an exceptionally insightful follow up to this summer’s game changing talk on the agency briefing process. There were about 500 things you could've learnt last night but five of them stood out for me in particular.

They stood out for me because they can and (hopefully) will immediately affect how I try to work with my clients.

The Little Deck of Banging Ads - Vol 3

The Little Deck of Banging Ads is back and this time it's all about experiential advertising, which in my book is essentially some sort of disruptive and engaging stunt.


                          

This is a project to arrange advertising of a specific type and genre thematically into decks, thereby gradually creating a little library of research. It started when I realised that although I end up dong this quite a lot, whenever anyone asks me for an ad that's a bit like this or a few examples of campaigns that did that, my mind goes totally blank. If you're anything like me having these examples in a handy deck might be quite useful and if you are on the look out for either examples of non-traditional media or brands with a social conscience, my first two decks might help...


As always please do feel free to use / download / do with it as you like and a huge thank you to everyone who has given the project a little shout out on Twitter - it really is brilliant to know people find this stuff useful!

The Little Deck of Banging Ads - Vol 2

I started this project a few months ago when I realised that my mind always goes totally blank whenever I need to think of ads within a specific genre. This being quite irritating I thought I'd start thematically arranging ads as I work into decks, all in an effort to make a little library of research. So here it is then the long awaited (ahem...) sequel to my first deck on non-traditional media. 

This one is all about brands acting with / like they've got a social conscience and although you've probably seen all of these ads before you might like to have them in one handy little deck as a reference tool. As always please do feel free to use / download / do with it as you like.

                          

P.S. If you did find this deck in anyway interesting / useful and wouldn't mind giving it a little shout out on twitter that would be hugely appreciated. (Thanks so much to everyone who tweeted about the project the first time round, I really am very grateful - you are lovely people!)