'Lady Happy'

Helllooooooo? Anyone still out there….. [long pause] ……?????

The last few months I have felt drained, defeated and jaded, among a few other pejorative moods. Yet in spite of this, I desperately began searching high and low for a little bit of Happy.

In Ad Land it has become tiring to hear of people and brands being over positive, claiming to be serving up a slice of this so called ‘Happy’ on a silver platter for us all to enjoy. Well, I’m not talking about discounts or those ‘special moments before the purchase,’ I’m talking about those stupid tiny purchases you can only buy for yourself and share with the closest person to you. I call them Happy because they are the rare things that remain just as Happy long after the first moment you saw them.

My first piece of Happy was uncovered in Covent Garden at All Saints. It was a small brown tattered leather wallet with an arcane piece of leather string hanging from it. It was £40 but I had to have it just to make the queue that much more annoying for those behind me as I would unravel it for a simple Fiver, and that much more easier for the local pick-pocket to yank the string and run away with my life. All in all, 8 months in and still, I love it!
As those of you who know me, moving home has been a roller coaster of emotions only matched by the uncertainty of the job hunt, and my pursuits for tiny pieces of Happy slowed down…that is until recently!

The biggest piece of Happy was more of a conscious thought-after purchase, my new iPhone 3G S!! I needed this tool of the future for my travels out to San Francisco for the Planningness conference and my week working for Euro RSCG. I even rewarded its companionship with a black Air Jacket case with a matte finish and matching screen cover. I treat those I love very well ☺

More recently, my Lady and I have finally realigned ourselves and celebrated the pre Holiday season gallivanting around NYC, mixing cocktails with old friends and new ones with accents, topped off with the much anticipated visit to Chop’t, the creative salad company, it may seem like an errand but after almost a year in the making this lunch was definitely a piece of yummy Happy.

Sure enough, when it rains, it pours … hence the dual meaning for the title of this posting. My Lady of course makes her debut, but more importantly and on a more relevant note, my feelings at the moment can be aligned to Liza Minnelli’s Cabaret number, ‘Maybe This Time.’

OOH almost forgot! After a trip out to Marshall’s I discovered some more Happy!
A green OGGI travel coffee mug, and the softest, most snuggliest green throw!
But I digress…

Speaking of pouring, I am also in the process of interviewing with Anomaly in NYC and DraftFCB out in San Francisco! Even a wee bit of action on the job front is enough to help shift my energies. (wow I sound like my mom, minus of course the fancy new nails, layers of colour fused into her hair and her plethora of new coats! The wonders of what one can afford after sacrificing heat during the winter!)

My final piece of Happy, aside from finally feeling like I can write about something other than advice about how best to ‘hang in there’ during tough times, is the Moleskin Storyboard journal I found today along with a small green pen. (Have you picked up that I am quite fond of the colour green yet?)
So as of this moment, as my Lady reads this, her teeth are grinding, for yet again I have taken a page out of her book. Well tough cookies missy! ☺

So as Happy makes itself easier for me to uncover and 2010 swiftly approaches with new moments and opportunities, I’ll sign off in the words of Liza…

'All the odds are in my favor
Something's bound to begin
It's got to happen, happen sometime
Maybe this time I'll win'

The Bay Cronicles (1/10)

Planningness Oct 2009 San Francisco






Over 2 days at one of the many Acadamy of Art buildings in San Francisco, Mark Lewis (Planning Director for DDB West) put on a great show!!!

I took to the sky late Friday night, unfortunatly missing the first day of seminars, but landed safley to jump into the action of day two!

My seminars began promptly at 8:45 with Connection Planning in 2009. Over the course of 2 hours we broke down a now media planning silo, and built a new perception comprising of a 51/49 percentage of experience planning and media planning, respectivly.

Next was the use of Commercial Semiotics. Very helpful for young planners. We got to dive into a great ad, of which I'm familiar, Sony Balls by Fallon London (among other pieces of art and technology). We deconstructed the consumer, social, and cultural research aspects of the piece to really get at how semiotics is about defining culture.

After lunch I participated in How To Do Stand Up Comedy. This was intense but highly insighful as to how effective writing and planning can truly deliver a great narrative. Another high point, was the reality that great comedy is built on negative connections, which a nice approach to the positivity storytelling that adland is all about!

Nearing the end of just one day, Adrian Ho from Zeus Jones really helped define planning in the 21st Century & Modern Branding tools. We got into groups by which month our birthdays fell into and developed new and innovative tools for which could help bring a brand into the modern world. Team August really delivered a great way of bringing the battle of Love & Hate into the conversation about 'where my brand is and where I want it to be.'

We were lucky enough to have a last minute, quick tutorial lecture on story telling and it's power, followed by drink complements of Google!!

Planningness 2010 is a MUST, for if you like what you just read, it was only 25% of what was available over the two days. Imagine what next year will bring?!?!

-- Posted from my iPhone

Meaningful Moments (This Is A Long One...)

Today I was reading the Real Simple magazine after the mailman, on his daily route, stopped by the NYSC to drop off some much needed tools of procrastination. For once, my coffee is all gone, the towels are all folded and my phone is all but buzzing from Gchat, I eagerly await anything the mailman has to deliver.

I found an article consisting of writers detailing their meaningful moments in a day. Their stories are full of the insight you just can’t get from surveys, focus groups, and mass marketing events.

4am – Edwidge Danticat, Author of Breath, Eyes, Memory and Brother, I’m Dieing

A Morning Lover

From her childhood memories of growing up in Haiti and taking to the streets with her family to prayer meetings called kowots, she loved the fact that in the usually lively and rambunctious neighborhood where she had lived, just being able to hear her and her families voices echo in the silence, was “devine.” In her adult life, she adores 4am where she can savor the moment of climbing in for a snuggle with her husband and children before the day begins.

6:30am – Rick Moody, Author of The Diviners, Garden State, and The Ice Storm

A Paper Fetcher

Rick grew up always venturing out to find the morning newspaper at first due to keeping himself on a budget, but later grew to love his quiet stroll of unpopulated streets, to chat up the guy at the newsstand. He calls it “sublime.”

After Sunrise – Roxana Robinson, Author of Cost and This Is My Daughter

A Sunriser

Standing on her back porch where the air is fresh and cool, she observes the morning dew and the arrival of the new season.

“I stand looking. There is a mist at the end of the meadow, and a fine, tiny curl of steam rising from my coffee. This is the moment I want to be in. …Sometimes there is just the wind, shifting the dry stalks of the grasses, moving the last leaves in the woods. I breathe in the cool, damp air. Everything is poised. The day is about to begin.”

Post-School Drop Off – Rebecca Barry, Author of Later, at the Bar

A Caffeinated Gossip Girl

After having kids and refusing to fall in line with other parents who go straight to work after dropping their kids of at school, Rebecca ensures she has ‘her’ time. She makes her way to her local coffee shop where she intersects with her neighbors, to listen to stories about people’s spouses, jobs, and children. Rebecca is leading the movement to bring the Happy Hour to the morning, complete with good coffee and a cozy place to sit, while listening to other people’s business

10:30am – Monique Truong, Author of The Book of Salt

A Deputy Caretaker

After her late cup of coffee, Monique begins to “walk the grounds” of her Brooklyn home where her and her husband have a fig tree, several citrus trees, a variety of herbs, and a couple of potted flowers. She inspects them long after her husband did before she awoke, noting anything that has sprouted, bloomed and wilted. Through out the day, Monique and her husband text and call each other to go over the details, and compare notes and complain about the squirrels. She says, “the joy is also in the sharing of this small piece of earth with my own constant companion.”

Noon – Lily Tuck, Author of The News From Paraguay and Woman of Rome

A Lunchtime Lover

While Lily’s morning most reflected by own when I was working for the Saatchi Saatchi Fallon group, her day is built around her sandwich. On her way to work after picking up a coffee, reading the paper, and picking up a sandwich, she starts her day with e-mails blogs, eBay, and phone calls until before she knows it, its lunchtime. She takes a moment to enjoy her sandwich with a glass of soda water. Now the day has its divide from its start. Lily’s afternoon lies dead ahead for her to work and write diligently into the afternoon.

3pm – Amy Bloom, Author of Away and the forthcoming Where the God of Love Hangs Out

A Devout Napper

Three o’clock is Amy’s naptime and has been for 50 years.

“My nap is a forceful, accomplished lover, for whom I have bought, over the years, a few appreciative tokens (a mammoth couch, an indestructible blanket). I submit; I wallow, I revel in what’s coming. When this hour rolls around, I put down my work and open my arms to Hypnos, and his handsome sons, Morpheus and Phantasus – not ones to say no to a nap.”

6pm – Geraldine Brooks, Author of March and People of the Book

A Dinner Maven

“I love the moment when we all pull up out chairs and sit down to dinner. Most nights, if it’s just the five of us, we are around the kitchen table. So there are a few minutes of transition between the flurry at the stove to the clatter of tableware and the passage of dishes across the room. Then we all take a deep breath.”

6:30pm – Ann Hood, Author of The knitting Circle and Comfort

An Evening Connoisseur

Ann’s day begins early from waking up two children with a decade between them, slurping down her coffee, driving her kids to school, finding clean socks, signing permission slips, answering phone calls, meeting deadlines, waiting for repairmen, retrieving her kids and cooking dinner all while emails flow freely as if like water falling from the sky. Finally it is 6:30pm, Ann hears the sound of her husband’s key in the lock, and in an instant all the driving and the fixing is worthwhile, as she gets a kiss hello and uncorks a bottle of wine over the sharing of what has happened in their hours apart.

8:30pm – Jonathan Safran Foer, Author of Everything Is Illuminated, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and the forthcoming Eating Animals

An Inbetweener

From spending hours staring at his blank screen wanting only to turn it off, Jonathan knows he will eagerly anticipate turning it back on during his commute home. From spending, what feels like a century, putting his children to sleep, Jonathan finds himself wanting them to wake up again. Jonathan feels most himself between the having done and the having to do again.

The Kids’ Bedtime – Ayelet Waldman, Author of Bad Mother and Love and Other Impossible Pursuits

A Storytime Mother

Ayelet’s joy can be found in the most bittersweet 20 minutes spent with her eight-year-old daughter Rosie. Rosie loves books and stories; she can recount the exact plot of every story Ayelet tells her. All Rosie ever wanted to do was read but she is dyslexic, as a cruel twist of fate. Nonetheless, after courses, tutors, boxes of sight words, Rosie and Ayelet curl up under the covers, as Rosie defiantly reads against her disability to one day be able to read on her own and one day, as Ayelet foresees, possibly write.

Late At Night – Monica Bhide, Author of Modern Spice

A Reflective Simplifier

Monica takes her time getting into bed and once under the covers, gently combs through what she is thankful for in her day. From her husband making his appointment on time, being able to find ointment for her son’s scraped knee, to her being able to cook a delicious dish. Although hesitant at first to begin this routine after a friend’s council, she has welcomed a sense of piece and centering of her mind and she drifts off to start another day.

While value is constantly being redefined and strategies are built around provoking rare moments to illicit timeless emotions, turning small routines into simple joys is where the real stories lay waiting.

**These people and stories were featured in depth in the November issue of Real Simple magazine, titled The Most Meaningful Moment Of My Day

Strategy Featuring Timberland (AD Lad's Honor Role)

No this is not album or a new release chart topping single, but more like one the most on point strategies for the current pulse of Timberland's target market. Have a look for yourself...




Mullen's Stay On Your Feet campaign is offers an experience far beyond shoe shopping, after a deal with CareerBuilder.com to help blue collar workers find jobs and share their toughest day on the job for a chance to win a pair of the shoes. Timberland is becoming an enabler and offering value to time spent.

This is a footprint to track!

iPhone Makes The World Smaller

I just downloaded the Free Photoshop Mobile App and transformed a large London landmark into what looks like a smaller colourful model. I am not claiming that by sharing my photo via 'social media' is the agent of miniaturization (for media is a 'where' and being social is a 'how'), because people have always participated in debates and conversations about stories, ads, events and more.

At a time when the world is litterally at my finger tips, there is something to be said for the power behind those wielding an iPhone.

-- Posted from my iPhone

My Lady In Red

Once upon a time Parí...

Sometimes looking back at great moments in my life causes a pause. A momentary freeze from the surmounting stress or change that is about to take place.

This is for someone very dear to me who I miss spending days with very much.

-- Posted from my iPhone

Rate My Wobble

Check out this first ever out of season ad for comic relief with Gordon Ramsay's sauce line, created by Fallon London and me, AD Lad!!!!
Well ok, maybe I'm not in the advert, but I was pushing the cart into the shot and trying to make it as wobbly as possible without causing the sauce stack to fall over.

I was sitting at my desk at Fallon a few months back, when I was asked to show up on the set of a Gordon Ramsey advert. Fallon had a car pick me up from my flat in Hampstead and wisk me away to south east London. I felt like I was an X Factor finalist (Ad Lad's powers of achieving new levels of lameness can stop even a speeding bullet). The glitz & glam of it all quickly dissolved as I stepped out into an empty lot and made my way up to an abandoned super market to lend an extra pair of hands as Shop Clerk #2.

The day started with, I have to say the best damn sweet sausages I had ever tasted. They must have had a maple glaze...
mmmmm....maple glaze. Kinda makes you hungry now right?

After many actions, cuts, and "Michael can you make it more wobbly?," I managed to get a balance between pushing the cart in time with the mobile camera crew while keeping a steady wobble. So if you're one for critiquing, then hit the play button again and rate my wobble!

Everyone Is A Critic?

My Dog Jazz...

Great creative used to be defined by traffic reports and a boost in sales...today however, emotions drive success and if a brand or story can make anyone; man, woman, dog and cat, feel that "I wish I could have been there" moment, then you know you're on to something!

Membership

Growing up in country clubs and around the wealthy, I developed an early and somewhat warped perception of membership. My father worked as the General Manager for various Westchester, New York and Fairfield, Connecticut country clubs and I quickly moved up the ranks from bus boy at 14 to bartender by 17. However no matter the club or the view I had over the dinning room, there always was a visible line between the likes of a 'service boy' and a 'member.'
This facilitated a fascination for luxury from a early age, be it lavish homes, exotic vacations, labels & price tags and even social circles. A simple desire for things I thought to be just out of reach.
After my four years in college and three years now out in the 'real' world I'm proud to say, I've been knocked down a few pegs. Recently, as a means to stay active while the hiring freezes begin to thaw, I've taken a part-time job at a 'local' New York Sports Club. My General Manager is a lively character even on the busy days. Hailing from England she moved here in 2003 after working in film production with the likes of Jo Brand and some other English names I have yet to truly discover. She sees it how it is and sure enough tells it how it is, right then and there. She hired me on the spot for the reason that she knew I was someone on the move looking to keep busy. She said something that I have been sitting on since last Thursday:
"[Ad Lad], I hate my job. I keep telling myself this is my last season, I want to go into consulting and travel the world, but I LOVE these members."
At first I thought, mmmmm K, but after seeing her engage and enjoy the people at the gym and seeing them enjoy her just as much, I began to feel that once very present line between a service boy like me and the membership, quickly begin to fade into the landscape.
It's interesting to peel back the silver veil and see genuine reactions and feelings from people whether it be a VIP or a bus boy. I strongly feel that, while the concept of membership and exclusivity has always existed, it's beginning to take new shapes here and there, whether from the financial crisis or the social and personal restarts taking place, it's hard to pin point. In order to really understand the pulse of the people we need to look less at the labels of 'bus boy' and 'member,' and dive head first into the characters out there. That's where the real story is.

The Power Of 6 Strings

Saturday on Labor Day weekend in New York City can mean a lot to many people. For me I had date with someone I've been neglecting of late ... myself.

It might appear to be as simple as a shirtless man in jeans with a piece of wood hanging around his shoulders surrounded by people enjoying either him, the city, their iPods or all three and more. However, for those lucky few who were there (Insert Smirnoff Ad here) it was much more!

My stroll began from the East Side with no destination but with an objective to people watch. I was going to treat myself to a snack and a can of pop, but 1. I spent $4 on a much needed bottle of Fiji Water and 2. No one calls it pop anymore and the looks bought me a detour through the Upper West Side. Soon I landed upon the scene above and a man called David That Guitar Man in Central Park. His personality was infectious and in a time when the term Swine Flu has set up shop above the fold, it was nice to see strangers converging on such a beautiful New York afternoon.

He began to engage with those passing by and those sitting, as one would do over cocktails sharing a story about that guy Bob at work and that incident with the copier. Needless to say, he had people laughing with him and at him, however no one was leaving. I began to see a certain community being built as each rhyme was made and note was sung. People's shame melted away as hands shot up as he began a group of those who have ever tried online dating, people's voices added to the tune of his guitar and to that of the city, as strangers became friends when home towns were shouted out.

Suddenly his 6 strings became 5 and even more people showed up, as he offered free hot dogs, wrapped as a pair and encouraged people to find a new friend to share one with, while he fixed his guitar. David That Guitar Man in Central Park became the shoreline connecting the people sat atop the hill with those out in the row boats as he belted out a few Beatles hits, for not only our ears but for Mr. Sid Bernstein, who just like me, was on a date with himself on this particular Saturday. Although he was a true gentleman, for he had brought a lawn chair!

Just as it was time to take to the skyline in order to make it in time for a surprise engagement party, my Saturday date was made by the power of 1 man and his 6 strings. A bride and groom making their way from what must have been the best Saturday wedding in New York, crossed the path in front of David and his hill top audience. His Beatles cover quickly turned into Elvis' Can't Help Falling In Love, as 1 by 4 by 17 by what must have been 70 of us joined in as we caught this new couple's first official New York City dance. These are the kind of memories this city is made up of.
It might have been as simple as a shirtless man in jeans with a piece of wood hanging around his shoulders surrounded by people, but for us all it was the best interruption from a midday stroll through the park, for he made people feel welcome and most of all, no matter the length of time it lasted, we all felt apart of something.

AD Lad's Honor Role

Photo from the Daily Mail September 02, 2009
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1210698/Square-deal-Unemployed-graduate-offered-job-displaying-giant-CV-4th-plinth.html

I have posted before about two young men walking up and down the freeway in New Jersey handing out their resumes, and true to form, the trend of standing above the crowd in increasingly creative ways is happening around the world!

I thought it was awesome how one spectacular night out with the Dazzler 'n friends spent in Trafalgar Square could put me right in front of my mom's eyes as I waved to her from a 4,000 miles away over a HUGE puddle!

This young man used his powers to hurl himself upon one of the highest soap boxes in London and demand people's attention from a much closer distance! I know from experience the daunting challenge that lays dormant until those entering their final year of university soon graduate to the job hunt. Emails, meetings and phone calls are all the baby steps needed to landing yourself in a job, there is no doubt. However, what that job is can differ. I think people like Alex Kearns (I hope to think myself included) will be the few who will be turning their passion for creative strategies into their bread and butter.

This is a shout out to Alex and to the rest of us out there!

I Think The Freezer Deserves A Light As Well

Every now and then a chain email comes along, despite how many times you make it clear to your family and friends you HATE them! In this case, a long chain letter came to my sister in what seemed it's most primal form (meaning only being sent a few times, rather than to the entire www, due to wild formatting!). Nevertheless she read them aloud as I began to make us Wild Berry Mojitios on the most humid day in CT. I soon realized I had begin to 100% totally relate to the content she was sharing.

I decided I would man up and admit when I am wrong, and that from time to time (and I literally mean, from TIME to TIME) mass emails can connect to you, or at least to me.

I can talk to as many friends, peers, and strangers about certain topics, but every now and then, the things you don't say, but think about every two days or so, make it to a mass email by someone else!

I would like to acknowledge, from what I assume is the author a Mr. Luke Grilli (please comment on this post if this all came from you) for his additions to the twitter/blogo/facebook/txt-o-sphere!

(I have bolded and italicized my own tiny tweaks to the few thoughts I personally related to)

*******************************************************************

More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can’t wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that’s not only better, but also more directly involves me.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no Internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in, but the gym frustrates me.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

What would happen if you hired two private investigators to follow each other?

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

Bad decisions make good stories.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit? I’d like to see a cop car hiding in the branches on the Merit Parkway, so when I get pulled over, my gut feeling of denial, hatred and depression is overcome by, HOLY CRAP THAT WAS AWESOME!

Time Travel In The Big Apple

Ok so its 1809....No Wait it's 1609! A few years back I began keeping a diary journal of my day to day life in college but I would try and translate my writing style and transform some of the modern conveniences such as cars and bars, into horse drawn carriages and speakeasies. Clearly I was pulling from the 1920's with the last one, but the theme of time travel back into times almost lost in a day and age of social media, Tom Toms and monorails, have always captivated me.

Time travel was THE reason why I fell in love with London. There is a scene in the DaVinci Code, almost 2/3rds of the way in, as Robert Langdon and Sophie are running through the streets of London, as Robert tells a story of the tomb they are about to visit in search of the Holy Grail. The Scene captures them running across the street from a bird's eye view dodging red double decker buses and black cabs, as translucent ghosts from a large ornate funeral procession appear intertwined with modern day London.

The Dazzler and I used to walk through the streets and spend time and plow through many bottles of a fine tesco bottle of Pinot Grigio in parks thinking of how many people from the ages have spent time doing the same thing. Every nook and cranny of London is decorated with a past and imbued with a story.

WELL, to my discovery with the help of National Geographic, The Mannahatta Project by the Wildlife Conservation Society has successfully bent the laws of time and space with the help of the Internet after nearly a decade of research. They have uncovered the original ecology of one of the worlds largest and beloved cities. What now are towering high-rises and grid like landscape, used to be roaming hillsides, valleys, forests, fields, freshwater wetlands, salt marshes, beaches, springs, ponds and streams all supporting a rich wildlife and sustaining people for probably 5000 years before the Europeans first stepped foot on the land in 1609.

The site allows you to explore any street and neighborhood as it was in 1609, download and learn about the science behind the Big Apple, and most importantly discuss!

I've been diving in and learning about the Original New Yorkers, the Native American Lenape People. I've already put in a few addresses of friends and some offices where I used to work and although the landscape has changed, it is no doubt still a jungle out there!

Snoopy Knows Best!

AD Lad's Honor Role GRAND PRIX!

Super Grads!

In light of the entrepreneurialism that helped shape the way we all use the Internet, The below desperate dynamic duo deserve a Grand Prix for effort and creativity in use of the roadside medium

AD Lad's Honor Role

Great Trend Guys!

Things I Have Missed

A stack of proper Pancakes with proper syrup, made my the best mom in the world...... followed by a quick trip to a tiny local shop known as Costco, to pick up some tid bits! :)
It's Yummery!

Advertising Crap

All Ads try to power conversation...

Great Ads inspire a reaction...


What would you do if you were asked to advertise a crap product? (no pun intended)

to be continued...

AD Lad's Honor Role

This film was directed, produced, and starred some of my very good friends! I will miss you all dearly and cannot wait until we can meet again over 6 or 15 pitchers of cocktail jugs.

Enjoy!

Things To Be Missed

A Saturday afternoon stroll through Hampstead...












Followed by a Cappuccino from Princi in SoHo



-- Post From My iPhone

A Dreadful Digital Delight

Today I got to sit down with some people from Fallon and really give some honest feedback regarding their work experience program. At the moment, the placement last for two weeks. (This is similar to most agencies) However, Fallon is far from similar to any agency, so rightly so their work experience should attract and train young talent in a way that is true to Fallon's nature.

To describe some of the agencies I have worked at, JWT is extremely posh and powerful, similar to the agency in the film What Women Want staring Mel Gibson, but on a more global scale. Saatchi & Saatchi is a brand in itself, with a name and highly experienced talent stretching between every cultural hub and booming city around the planet. Fallon, starting from the states and stretching to London and Tokyo is a highly creative power house full of young talent who not only live and breathe this industry, but are obsessed in the best way possible. Every agency packs its halls and floors with highly passionate people, there is no doubt, but if you're lucky enough to get in the doors here at Fallon, my point is, you better leave with a proper jolt to what you thought the industry is really like. It's too soon to tell what the exact new layout will be for Fallon's work experience, but from the meeting I had, it's definitely one people should be on the look out for.

I would also like to instil some insight for those of you interested in planning, which is to immerse yourself for the digital revolution. It has been said and reported before, but if you really want to get a look at just how great this shift from the traditional to the digital culture, check out B-Reel.com.

I won't go into any more detail on Hotel 626 except to say, it is the most engaging way to interact with Doritos. It is an online interactive film which will scare you to your core and excite your adrenaline, but you have been warned, it is a seriously frightful experience! Log on and see for yourself. Don't forget to tip the maid...and don't think closing your browser and turning off the computer will save you, once you're checked in!

Total 2-FER

When Banana Republic opened its first store in London on Regents Street last year, I was ECSTATIC. I can't recount how many times Lady and I would ditch classes and forget about debt as we would venture to shops in Portsmouth NH and outlets in Kittery ME to buy things we couldn't afford on the store credit cards we could easily get. Other adventures included a mid-day trip to Mike's Pastries in Boston as we rocked out to Jefferson Starship. But really, what day can't be made better with a slice of cheesecake!

As I began to learn more and more about communications, books like "e" and shows like Mad Men were great outlets to immerse myself in. Second to cheesecake, who can say they don't like DVD box sets! With Mad Men's third season premiering on August 16th, marketers are lining up to associate themselves with the franchise. Ad Age reported Banana Republic and AMC announced a partnership last week that will feature an in-store "Mad Men" promotion, running July 21 through Aug. 11. Using "Mad Men" imagery and characters to symbolize Banana Republic's modern take on dressing for the 1960s workplace.

My mild mannered attire back in college was made up of sports coats and chinos! (Some days it just felt good to dress up..what..don't Judge!)

And if you thought it couldn't get any better......there will be a contest for customers to win a walk-on role in a "Mad Men" episode and a $1,000 Banana Republic gift card!

I can't wait to add onto my student loans with a few BR bills!

Some Midsummer Fun With a Cherry On Top

Sometimes life throws curve balls at you...and so what, sometimes you catch them!

On Friday I was invited to the Midsummer Awards down at the Hurlingham Club in Fulham, London. Being quite a newbie myself this was so rare and I have Pitch Pantha to thank for the invite!

The night went very well, expensive drinks lead to delicious ham (unfortunately drizzled in my kryptonite) before a lovely roast of Lamb found its way to my table! It was Midsummer Yummery topped with some fizzy bubbly.

My first award ceremony reminded me of what happens on the Oscars just with out all the rock star performances and red carpet. Fallon was the toast of the night after we all got up to accept Agency of the Year, for producing great work, just check out some of it here! In celebration I decided to be the first on the dance floor with Pitch Pantha! Oh yeah we tore it UP!

***

Now Monday clearly had a hard act to follow, but sure enough at 9:35pm, I was watching Friends, the one with the two surprise parties for Rachel, and suddenly an advert I got to sit in research groups for, when I was at Saatchi & Saatchi, came on. I can recall watching it over and over at my desk making sure the tiniest detail was correct and sitting behind the one way mirror listening to groups debate and share feelings about how the spot made them feel.

But today, after a great first award ceremony, Monday's Ariel Excel Gel ATM advert really was the cherry on top! It felt nice to know I had a part to play, however small. :)

When it is on you tube I will post it for sure, but in the mean time here is a preview of the prior spot about Ariel Excel Gel.

Watch Out Oprah & Angelina!!

Borrowed from blog.yogajournal

Quick Megan Fox, take note!

AD Lad's Honor Role

Another reason to love W+K

The ‘Resist Simple’ campaign is about people who abandon something simple and make the effort to experience a more interesting life.

Being an ex-bartender and someone who veers away from most things ordinary this ad hits home for me!

Coke & X-Men...Life Is Good

As a young planner who has not yet been captured by an agency, mainly due to the economy and my dang visa head ache thanks to the Home Office, it is really exciting thinking of that day when I can post about my first day with a real salary! Until then I can drift off up into the clouds thinking of what it might be like to work at difference agencies.

Wieden + Kennedy is an agency I have always respected regarding the work they produce and the fact that their offices in East London can easily be mistaken as a tourist shop. Often the receptionist waves a flag informing those camera happy travelers that it is in fact a creative agency not a nick nack shop.

Funny enough, if you take away the business aspects of this industry and dive deep into the underlying theme of why people love working in advertising is because we all love nick nacks, and more often than not, great ideas come from the tiniest of things...

Two reasons I love W+K are below. First, the Coke ad, aired in 2008 titled "It's Mine," (I loved waking up early on November 27th to stand in the cold waiting for balloons in Times Square) Second, the link to the W+K NY blog about how a very intense brainstorming session turns into a discussion about Forge, an X-Men character and their world. Life must be good over there!

All In A Day’s Work: Part III Things to Think About

Every now and then Pitch Pantha, whose special powers are attuned to 'hunting' and rescuing brands which need saving from poor comms strategies, and I get together to enjoy a racy conversation over brunch or coffee, but more recently to think of new ways to inspire and cultivate rising talent. Yesterday we sat down to develop a student pack to offer insight into advertising as an industry, compile some of Fallon’s best work over the years which illustrates it’s diverse creative portfolio, and to fundamentally offer some advice.

Aside from doing everything in my power to beat that Catch-22 and get some initial work experience, there are some skills every future Ad Lander should practice daily. It doesn’t involve practicing climbing up walls from a back alleyway or jumping from rooftop to rooftop as my photographer mate Peter Parker did when he started out. Instead it is allowing yourself to always ask yourself the following questions when looking at an advert:

• Do I like this ad?
• Does it engage & empower me?
• What is the strategy?
• How would I change it?
• Who is it trying to talk to?
• Is it telling a story?
• Who made it?
• How was it made?
• How has it changed from its last ad?

These questions are ESSENTIAL when you’re preparing to fill out graduate or work placement applications and more importantly when you get to that first interview.

When you answer these questions make sure you’re speaking from what you believe and then try and back it up with trends and strategies that have worked in the past and be a trendspotter and adapt your version of the ad to any of the shifting themes in popular culture and society.

Here are some tips from Pitch Pathna:

Pitch Pantha’s believes Size Matters! Ask yourself the following...

• What is the size of the brand?
• What is the size of the market?
• What is the size of the problem?
• What is the size of the (creative) opportunity?
• If the size of the opportunity is great, what is the size of the budget?

Once you agree to work on a project, get to know the client, know what keeps them awake at night, for the bigger and better the relationship, the bigger and better the rewards!

Gazing with my Ears

During a thunderstorm, there is nothing like a warm cup of tea and being under 4 different blankets. My favorite one is a tattered green and black throw with designs of golfers woven into the ends. It's lasted me almost a decade and is one I hope I can pass on one day.

Sitting at my desk during a crack of thunder makes me long for that cuppa under my golf blanket, but something with even more meaning to me is a personal playlist.

Working behind a bar was always great, not only because of the disposable income, but because I was able to pick and choose the upbeat tunes, until one day I played snow patrol during a dinner rush and literally got booed out from behind the bar! When I worked at a hedge fun, to listen to music was just easier than draping a 5ft "Fire Me" banner across one's cubicle.

One of the many things I love about working in advertising, is that from time to time you need a pair of headphones to keep you in the zone! Furthermore, here on the fifth floor of Fallon,I am lucky enough to have an sky light that is 50% of the roof top. On sunny days it makes me hate being inside, but during thunderstorms its fantastic!

Listening to the crack of thunder and pitter patter of rain on a window can take me back to thunderstorms on the cape, just like listening to my headphones can take me back to rainy days in college sitting in a small Randal Hall dorm room playing with scraps of paper and avoiding studying. For me that room had two songs, California Love by Tupac Shakur and The Promise by Tracey Chapman.

Superman Might have x-ray and magnified vision as well as super sonic hearing but I, ADventure Lad, find the best way to see something is with my ears.

Thunderstorms and playlists of all sorts, just like poems and stories, conjure up more images in your mind than your eyes could ever capture.

AD Lad's Honor Role

Working here at Fallon and getting to scan through Juan's work is a real perk of being a superhero!

All In A Day's Work: Part II Networking

As promised I am going to keep an ongoing themed post dedicated to sharing what has worked for me in terms of getting noticed in this industry.

In any business, keeping a contact list of anyone & everyone you meet is vital! You never know when you might need to shoot them a quick note, for yourself, or as a means to help a mate or two out. With Email, Twitter, Lifestream, blogging and texting etc., keeping connected is getting easier by the second!

My father was awesome at keeping in touch with people. Not to get morbid but at his wake, there was an hour queue in the rain, just to say goodbye.

In November I met key people across various disciplines; Advertising, PR, & Marketing. One of the most effusive people I met was a planner for Saatchi & Saatchi. He was SO passionate about his career and life, I just had to meet him. This is where being your natural self pays off!

After he finished speaking, many of the young undergraduates raced up to him, resumes in hand and armed with many many questions. The one at the top of their list was, 'Can u hire me?!'

Take note: DON'T EVER EVER ASK THIS!

In creative industries, talent and your personality is what will get you hired! Simple.

I am not tooting my own horn, because of course I would have loved a job too, but I focused on why I enjoyed listening to him and why I would like to one day work for his company. I simply said hello and asked if I might buy him a glass of wine one day so I can gain some insight into the industry and his role within Saatchis. I went home and sent him the following email, no CV attached.

Dear XXXXX,

I so enjoyed your stories about Saatchi & Saatchi's creative approach to business problems with human feelings at its core. I understand that your time is highly sought after however, I would love the opportunity to hear more stories and have a chance to introduce myself properly over a glass of wine, later this week perhaps.

He emailed me 4 weeks later inviting me to coffee. I like to think that in my case, amidst a gaggle of yuppies, my personality made an impression both in person and later in email. I've had the opportunity to work alongside him many times, and it's fantastic! Through him I met even more amazingly talented people!

When you are networking to the movers and shakers, keep in mind they are really busy and might not have a chance to reply right away (even though your secretly hoping they will). It is OK to send quick follow ups when you feel it's appropriate and keep them updated on your activity, but do so with caution! The minute you seem annoying and desperate, the chances of getting your foot in the door diminishes by 90%!

Through my power of networking I have met dozens of the key players from Account Managers who can out wit a fox, a creative who loves Jack on the rocks and Bruce (let's be honest, who doesn't love that duo), to sharp shooting and insightful CEOs and really personable managing partners!

The most important thing is to keep an ongoing dialogue and create a relationship which suits you and your contact. This is because, the day you get hired (and you will) is the day these contacts become your peers and your new circle, for when you want to make a move to further your career on your own or with another agency.

I hope this helped and I would love some feedback. Treat these posts and an open Q&A and I will do my best to shed even more light on how to properly network yourself.

Play Me London

If you find yourself wondering the streets of London or flying high above like me, and you happen to notice a few pianos, check them out. My mate, who happens to be a Lord...(yeah I like to fly high in many respects)...mentioned he saw a piano with the words 'Play Me, I'm Yours' on the front.

It is a live art installment touring internationally since 2008 by artist Luke Jerram. Read more here.

Today walking down Carnaby Street I managed to sit back and enjoy the live show by this talented stranger who decided to have a go.
(I managed to make a recording and as soon as I can convert and upload the file I will)

AD Lad's Honor Role

HBO's Voyeur

This won a grand prix award at last year at Cannes. It is an outdoor ad in which a short film was projected onto the side of a lower east side building. I am researching examples of audience engagement and stumbled upon this campaign made by BBDO New York, and I wanted to share...enjoy :)

All In A Day’s Work: Part I

Do you ever walk out the door and forget your wallet, only you’re a good mile away from the front door before you realize it? I am guilty of this all the time, but in my case, I tend to leave my goggles behind. You might be wondering what I’m going on about. Well when I’m flying high above ADLand, my eyes become a net, catching every creepy crawly with wings…Yuk!

Keeping your vision clear is your only means to getting hired! This is also vital for anyone who is considering applying for work experience or anyone who is already on a placement in a creative agency. The first thing to understand is that in most cases graduate schemes vary greatly from work experience! I learned that at JWT.

There is an infamous catch-22 within most creative industries for all those who are starting out. While you need to show academic performance such as a degree or more, you also need to have relevant work experience however, you need work experience, to get work experience.

If you just got a head ache, don’t worry. I am going to devote a few posts going forward, for some tips on how to make this catch-22 work in your favour.

**Please take note, I am only sharing what has worked for me, and hopefully you can get a sense of just who AD Lad is from prior posts.**

What worked for me might not exactly work for you. This is because every person is different and that is what agencies are looking for! However, if you can gain some insight as to what your particular angle will be when keeping in touch with industry leaders, picking a mentor, filling out those applications and how to approach your first day on a placement, you will already be well on your way to getting noticed!

AD Lad's Honor Role

I was reading the WSJ--
(written by Eric Bellman...below is a snippet of his piece)

Advertisers in Benipur Village, India can't rely on TV, radio or even newspapers to reach the country's 700 million rural consumers. So they use Sandeep Sharma.

On dirt roads across the subcontinent, the former wedding singer cracks jokes, gives demonstrations and stages game shows to spread global consumerism, one village at a time.

He is one of thousands of traveling performers who bring the world's biggest brands to audiences of a handful in the remotest reaches of the nation. He offers free Castrol oil changes for tractors. He dishes out bowls of Nestlé noodles in village schools. He pushes Unilever soaps and creams. He promotes tooth powder and condoms.

"Stick to the countryside if you want to be successful," the 34-year-old says, beaming after a recent performance before a small crowd of villagers in stifling heat. "When we arrive, the whole village comes out."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

One recent afternoon in the single-road village of Benipur (pop. 5,000), he opened the back of his truck to reveal a stage, speakers and bright posters. The village is a sandy strip of one-story houses and simple shops, most of them brick but a few made of mud with thatched roofs. The road up to the village is flanked with carefully constructed 10-foot towers of cow dung, burned as fuel for cooking and heating. Trucks, tractors, scooters and herds of goats slow as they see the stage. A curious crowd grows. The music starts. Mr. Sharma shouts into the microphone.

"You have to sacrifice so much in life, but these Nokia handsets have all the extras," he says, waving his hands. "Nokia makes life easier."

He pulls barefoot people onto the stage and quizzes them about the product. When they answer the questions correctly, they get a Nokia keychain in the shape of a guitar. Two other performers do a skit mimicking characters from a popular Hindi film.

"Brother, why would you need a cellphone?" one performer asks as he passes the only microphone. "To flirt with the most popular girl in the village," comes the answer. The crowd giggles.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Mr. Sharma has been working the circuit for five years for Linterland Rural Communication, the rural outreach company connected to Lowe Worldwide, an agency owned by Interpublic Group PLC. He earns about $350 a month, a higher-than-average rural wage; less-experienced salesmen take in $200.

Selling in the village takes a lot of interaction -- but not too much. Mr. Sharma and the salesmen for Unilever soaps and skin creams talk to women from behind flip charts so there is no direct eye contact that could offend the menfolk.

"It's the men, not the women that get upset," says Mr. Sharma. "Usually a husband or brother stands nearby and asks all the questions, even for women's products."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

He travels by road more than 5,000 miles a month, visiting as many as three remote villages a day, often getting stuck on dirt roads and in floods. He sleeps in cheap hotel rooms with the four others on his team, or in his truck. He can't go home for months at a time, bathrooms are scarce, and he has trouble finding appetizing food.

His hair is orange from being in the sun all the time. He usually gets two shirts monogrammed with the logos of the latest promotion. He washes one by hand every day so he has a clean one for the next day.

It isn't quite the fulfillment of his dream of singing at the best hotels, but he does get to perform every day and has made a lot more money than he made singing at weddings. "Now, I can afford to be married," he says during a break behind his truck. He tied the knot last month. His bosses have promised him that he won't have to travel so much now, but he has a better idea.

"I will anchor shows together with my wife," he says. "Then we will get double the pay."

(See, now that's a propper Suit)

*****
http://mobile2.wsj.com/device/article.php?CALL_URL=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124458376269599545.html?

-- Post From My iPhone

CSI: London

Whooooo Are You? ... Who ... Who



... Who ... Who?!

CSI: London is on the case for my missing Xbox!

-- Post From My iPhone

It’s A Funny Biz

The phrase “no two days are the same” is often said when advertising, advertising. This is no truer in this industry than it is in life. Adventure is around every corner. Sometimes adventure can be traumatising and other times, insightful. Life is about living in the unexpected, not just being aware of it.

Last Friday ended my stint with Saatchi London with a BBQ, paddling pool, yummy coronas and a very large super soaker! Monday I started back at Fallon during Fallon Festival!! Throughout the week, speakers such as Thomas Gensemer, Matthew Freud, Ken Livingstone, Mark Earls, Robert Senior and Laurence Green are all in the flesh, in very intimate and open Q&A sessions about their industries, cultural views, and lives in general.

Over the past two years, I have been aware of the unexpected, from an internship amidst big wigs in the Gherkin, working for top creative power houses, travelling to random towns in England, VIP treatment at the O2, battling the bureaucracy any international student faces with the Home Office, living on a budget of £90 pw, and more recently being burgled.

While I am excited about the people I’ve met and worked with, my life is not a resume. I have only been shaken to my core quite a few times by the outcomes of personal choices and achievements, but more so by distress. On Sunday afternoon, I came home to find my flat had been burgled. Yes, even ADventure Lad can't be ahead of all the wrong doers. Luckily, only my Xbox was taken…::PHEW::…but I was left with a feeling of vulnerability and violation.

This experience and my adventures to-date, have further helped to shape my outlook on tomorrow and my efforts live more within the unexpected than before.

When listening to my friends comforting words and hearing the early stories of some of today’s leaders, reminded me that no two days are ever supposed to be the same. To think “It could never happen to me” is to open yourself up to a world of naivety, sometimes for the best, though more often not. It is impossible to be prepared for everything, but certainty the excitement comes from living in the unexpected by jumping at every opportunity, being vigilantly persistent and effusively positive in the face of every dissimilar day.

Things I Will Miss #3

-- Post From My iPhone

Things I Will Miss #2

MMMMMM YUMMMMY STICKYYYY GOODNESSSS

My Top 3 From Saatchi's Showcase

Her Morning Elegance / Oren Lavie



Sonny J : Handsfree (If You Hold My Hand)



Keith Loutit

A Sip of Kir Royal at Cannes

The International Advertising Film Festival is now well underway in Cannes France, its official home after its inception in 1954. Until 1984 the festival was held in Venice and Monte Carlo, before arriving at its now permanent home in Cannes and highlighted the works of TV and film. In 1992 print media was recognized followed by digital in 1998, radio in 2005, design in 2008, and 2009 welcomes PR to the stage.

On a day like today, sitting in sunny London with an hour for lunch seemed like a waste, when I could easily soar through the clouds faster than a speeding bullet to take in the sights of a Lunch hour at Cannes. So I ran from the office and took to the clouds and after a minute I had cleared a path for my super secret landing behind the Debussy Theatre, where Sir Martin Sorrell (the big wig of WPP, the holding company of agencies like JWT and Ogilvy among others) will be gathering tomorrow with other heavyweights to debate the impact of the recession on Adland.

Suddenly, a helicopter cut me off as it made its own approach, bringing in more directors and creatives from all over the globe. In Cannes, there is nothing like making your very own entrance. After my frazzled landing, I found a luxurious cafe and took in the sights. Lucky no one had noticed ADventure Lad's near collision with air traffic control. ::Phew::

A waiter came to my table and simply offered me a Kir Royal. From what I have heard, there is nothing like enjoying the combination of Champagne and creme de cassis as you look out over the busy centre. Within seconds, there was no avoiding the buzz of who had a Lion and who didn't.

Now I bet you're thinking, It is easy to want to rub shoulders with an Oscar, an Emmy and even a Tony, but with a Lion?! The Lion is the iconic symbol of the festival and they were inspired by the Lions in Piazza San Marco in Venice, where the first festival took place. Here are some of this year's highlights...

AKQA is the success story of this year's festival so far, winning a Grand Prix for Fiat 'eco:Drive' in the Cyber category (See the screen grab, but check out the actual site and have a poke around)



After picking up the Grand Prix in the PR Lions, 'the best job in the world' campaign for Tourism Queensland also scooped the honour in the Direct Marketing category. (Can you believe as a campaign they actually created a job to be the care taker of the Great Barrier Reef Islands! as a way of raising awareness of the reef and Australia! Now that's Seriously Smart Advertising ;-P)

Saatchi & Saatchi snapped up the UK’s only Gold Award in the Direct Lions category for T-Mobile ‘Dance,' no other UK agency won Gold in Direct. The Award is for Commercial Public Services.
'Dance' also won 3 Media Lions (2 silver and 1 bronze for Commercial Public Services, Best Use of Special Event and Best Use of Mixed Media, respectively) and 1 Cyber Lion.


Saatchis' has cast its net even further this year in its search for fresh directing talent. The New Directors' Showcase, sponsored by Saatchis for 19 years, premiered at 1.30 in the Grand Auditorium at Cannes. This is one of the hottest tickets at Cannes giving Adland and namely Saatchis, a first bite at the best new talent - the performer Bill Shannon and director Joey Garfield who shot the new Visa ad was found here. Jonathan Glazer, Tarsem, Michel Gondry and Danny Kleinman have all appeared on the New Directors Showcase in the past.

I won't give away the names of the directors but, I will give my top picks for Music Videos and Ads they presented. All in all, every selection was oozing creativity!

Music Videos:
Hands Free by Sonny J
Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie
Live Good by Naive New Beaters
Warrior's Dance by The Prodigy

Adverts:
Alto Palermo
Scrabble
Pain Without Borders
Adidas
Nike

**Once these films are made public I will do my best to post them!**

WHOA, look at the time. I best take to the sky and race back to 80 Charlotte Street! I will try and keep you all updated but just incase you fancy finding out more about Cannes, go to www.canneslions.com, and/or check out the winners here!

Up Up and AWAY!

The Recession Lesson

Walking through TOPMAN a while back, I saw this printed on a t-shirt and I first thought of what Lady and I would do and say in the face of impending doom.


However, after thinking a moment about the whole economic crisis ripping through our streets I looked at this design more as a reality affecting everyone.

People are bored of the recession and what were thought to be minor value shifts among a more sensitive consumer, are now becoming the new way of thinking for the long-term.

This morning I set my alarm for an hour earlier than normal and sat up in bed looking out my window and enjoying this view...


Now this may not seem like the best view to you, but that's my point. For me, it is helping to shape a positive outlook on my day. People who are making it through tough times like these, or even fighting more personal and emotional battles, are the ones who are taking a 'time-out' for themselves.

Go on and try it if you think I'm waked, see what happens. :)

-- Post From My iPhone

Evening Commute

Living in London makes it easy to become overly reliant upon the tube. Sometimes when it's delayed or shut down nothing beats a walk through the city's streets and parks to get to where you need to be.




After sitting indoors staring at Power Point for hours, the sweaty tube was the last thing I wanted to suffer on one of London's nicest evenings.






I did this once before on a morning commute to Fallon when it was raining and being an hour late became my new reality whether by bus or foot. It was just as inspiring then as it was today as I spoke with Lady on the phone and took in the settings. There is a certain calm that brushes over you as you stroll through London's streets. In advertising you don't always get better at your job by examination after examination and when choosing to work in communications there is no better way to improve your creative side than to take time to notice people and your own surroundings. Sometimes you may even stumble upon hidden treasures.





This post is for my Lady


-- Post From My iPhone

A View From Above

Over the past month I have been working at one of London's top creative agencies working on a project for a brand within a highly saturated market. This is one of the more challenging accounts within a global agency for the reason that if you try to colour too far outside of the lines, it could spell trouble and look like a mess, but if you hold back even slightly, there is a chance the brand will suffer.

Before I dive in, let me share with you my bird’s eye view over Adland I got while soaring through the sky, as super heroes do from time to time.

The Account Man: From a junior executive to a regional director, you are the middle man between the agency and the client. Your job is to ensure the brief is met, in terms if cost efficiency, timeliness, and to be sure the ideas you're presenting are not only inline with the agencies mantra but also to the grounds by which you won the pitch.

Creatives: It might seem easy to paint creatives with the same dark brush. While their job is to generate disruptive ideas that engage the consumer on a profound level, they are far from the stereotype. Creatives can come from a range of non-traditional backgrounds as long as they deliver those magical ideas which resonate within our subconscious.

Planners: A planner's objective it to speak on behalf of the consumer. Strategies come from the insight which great creative follows. A planner’s duties are to look at a brief’s objective and then take the pulse of the people. A great planner will be able to recognize the problem within the market and develop a stratagem for the campaign. As a planner, if you can’t simply describe something, it means you don’t understand it well enough.

All three of the above must act as one team if the idea is to create a long lasting relationship. This cohesion is absolutely vital when working within a saturated market. Take for example refrigerators, diapers and detergent. All three are diverse products and they are equally vital towards every household. So how is it possible to create that meaningful relationship?

That is the million dollar question. The key is to build the connection from a foundation of emotions. What will stop me from buying the product which is on promotion is how relevant each of the different brands is to my life. If a brand can communicate relevancy outside of its function, while staying true to the segment in which it performs, then you and your team might find yourself to be a million dollars richer!