The Fire Escape Photo

Why is it that the usual form for advertising executive photo is to look rather moodily into the camera?

Is it cos we're trying to be cool when we're not?

Is it cos we're actually not enjoying it?

Is it cos we want people to think we're serious when we're actually jokers.

I wanted to put my friend Alex's photo up, but unfortunately he came out over-exposed...

Martin Smith

I had the good fortune to meet Martin Smith last week. He's a jolly nice chap, an ex-chief at BBH and after that Grey.

We talked about some interesting things, for example about how it seems that 20 years ago, advertising agencies were the thought leaders - palaces of innovation and creativity and way ahead of clients. But today the opposite is almost true. We're operating in structures built in the 1960's that have hardly altered at all. Martin suggested that the growth of big agency networks had put lawyers and accounts in charge of creative organisations - to the detriment of innovative and no-risk thinking.

I got the sense from him that the networked / open-source business he's creating in The Law Firm (with Andy Law) will be far more fluid and less compartmentalised than traditional creative agencies. The whole model is based on passing work across a nodal network and then taking in ideas in the same way. It means you can harness lots of small specialists under one umbrella - a kind of Creative Co-operative. Each node benefits from any business they put put to the other nodes. And each node gains by being part of wide-ranging network. It's a great idea.

We also talked a lot about the future uses of IPTV. The idea that IPTV channels will combine the best of programming, advertising, funded content and even merchandising - and bring them to niche audiences as specialist interest channels. He mentioned an ethical channel that were doing exactly that - and refusing advertising space to any non-ethical brands!

Integrated Thinking Prompt?

This is my tool, ('model' sounds too serious for something so simple), for developing totally integrated campaign ideas for brands. The point is that so often still, creative teams develop ideas that live in print or on TV but they seem to stop there.

So, the point of this is to encourage thinking in other dimensions. So a great creative idea might well be expressed in the written word and as image. But how about we also take it in the following directions;

Action: Let's get people doing something that expresses the idea. It could be as simple as a field force handing out samples, or as engaged as a flashmob dancing to the ipod beat. This one could also be called Person. Think Celebrity operating as brand platform. What Kate Moss does says a a lot about your brand

Music/Sound: This isn't new, but music and radio/podcasting is underused in taking a creative idea forward. From the Lynx single to a branded MP£ story.

Object/Place: Brands creating experience. What a great way to make an idea real. From 4x4 driving days to corporate sculpture. It's a sure way to get noticed, be involving and become a hot-topic.

Interaction: Yeah yeah. We're all doing it right? But the best thing about the co-creative world is that we can leave our idea unfinished and invite others to complete, alter and enhance it. So let's leave them some room. Wasn't that what great communications was always all about?

The proof of the pudding is in the eating though, so watch this space.

Give up the Analogue

Digital Assault Course

Today, all the Planners are sitting down for the Digital Assault Course. A galloping tour through
the latest web fads with some demonstrations of some of our better creative efforts to the team.

I hope we all find it useful and interesting.

The key will be to think about how it could impact our clients' business.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Leo