everyone has an opinion, who do you listen to?
Some opinions on opinions.
How to get a creative job in advertising. 1980’s vs 2020’s.
Recently I was asked if I would give some advice to a friend of a young colleague on how to get into advertising, specifically as a creative. It occurred to me that I am not sure I know how anymore, so I said the best person to talk to was our junior art director, Ellie. Then I... Continue Reading →
One hit wonders.
Because like a one hit wonder (when hits were a thing back in the seventies) a tune or a look or an idea can be thrilling and life affirming by a series of strange coincidences or aligning of the stars. A galactic anomaly that just needs to be admired and observed for its singular celestial beauty.
Why Pharma creativity adapted to the sea floor.
Hello dear reader, hope you're still enjoying this work from home lark? Me? well on one hand I have an office again, and the time to concentrate and get shit done. On the other I miss my work chums and that feeling of collective achievement and camaraderie. On the other other hand, I miss the... Continue Reading →
Hydrogen versus Bernoulli
People often wonder where ideas come from. I like to think that all ideas are just sitting there, waiting to be discovered rather than created out of thin air as one might suppose. Creative people just spend more time looking for them. We're like those people who suddenly got obsessed with Pokemon-Go and were out... Continue Reading →
Judgement day
For those of you who've sat on the PM society jury in the past you'll recall a big drafty room at the BMA in Russell Square and two days out of the office, walking round a room peering at rounds and rounds of cardboard. This year, like many awards shows, most of the judging took... Continue Reading →
When your concept is taken Hostage
So you have a great idea and you're all excited to present it, this could be the big one! The meeting goes well enough, they like it, you high five anyone who's passing the meeting room. A couple days pass and then come the list of amends. They've shown some key stakeholders, they've shown their... Continue Reading →
Be careful what you wish for
You remember those first couple of years when Health and Wellness and Pharma were finally at Cannes? Anyone who was anyone flew in and there was an air of optimism for the future. And yet, how some of us lamented the fact that we seemed divorced from the main show, how we felt like second... Continue Reading →
Forget about awards and the awards will come.
Do you see yourself as a creative person? Try this test. Take a brick and list three things you can do with it. Some people will say 1. Build a house 2. Build a road 3. Build a bridge. If your top three ideas were 1. Throw through a jeweller's window, 2. Squash flies 3.... Continue Reading →
Career suicide.
A couple of apparently unconnected things happened in the last few months, out there in media land, that have a hit a chord if you happen to be a seasoned creative of the 'pale and male' persuasion. Firstly in June, at Cannes Lions, the wonderful 'Project 84' scooped a gazillion Lions for the Campaign Against... Continue Reading →
ollycaporn's blag 