Trying to be something you’re not is too much like hard work. It’s usually stressful and almost always unsustainable. Even if it is with the best intentions. Just ask Bart Simpson, who radically alters his behaviour to impress a virtuous girl called Jenny (voiced by Anne Hathaway no less) in …
It’s simple but not easy to be a successful brand in social spaces. Being brilliant at what you do, or having an awesome product, is the cornerstone of pretty much every social success story. People talk about and talk to organisations that have got their shit together. Obvious. Simple. Not …
One is reminded of the Derek and Clive “This Bloke Came Up To Me” sketch, which we join half way through. Clive : I was watching a game against Arsenal, and this bloke came up to me and said “Hello”. Derek : Oh no… Clive : And I thought, “Christ!” …
Before The Creatives See It is a Facebook page that exposes and “outs” the magpie instincts of advertising creatives by sharing the original content that it predicts will be appropriated into advertising in the near future. A creative director that I used to work with was refreshingly candid about …
Seven words that make your heart sink. The seven words that made Patricia McDonald‘s heart sink in the February post of the month (Planning for participation) were… Then people can upload their own versions. I completely second that emotion. But I’d also add the seven words that make every digital …
There’s a fine line between healthy cynicism and bonfire pissing. And it’s a fine line that the experienced creative industry practitioner has to tread carefully. Especially when she or he is dealing with the fresh-faced envangelism of a young, thrusting brand manager. Marketing can be a ridiculously up itself business …
Advertising effectiveness moves in mysterious ways. One of the unexpected effects of the Country Life Butter campaign featuring ex Sex Pistol John Lydon was that it funded the reformation and American tour of PIL (Public Image Limited). As Jimmy Kimmel says in this interview, he is “fuelled by butter.” [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04loHm0iRtA] …
I have created a couple of robots that are putting the internet to work for me. It was my first play with the ifttt (If This Then That) application since receiving my beta invitation a few days ago. And it was the digital equivalent of sticking a few Lego bricks …
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brZ88Byh544] I predict that this ad will eventually be deemed an experiment that didn’t work. Whilst it’s always tempting to push the creative envelope, and to explore new and original executions of a long running campaign, there are some things that are best left alone. Incredibly powerful brand properties being …
I pay you for your opinion. So said a client of mine way back when. (Maybe it’s just me but I never fail to be pleasantly surprised when someone is explicit in placing value on my point of view.) In this instance it wasn’t any kind of strategic input that …
