Robinson's Birdhouse

Agency: BBH, London 

Creative Director: Nick Gill 

Art Director: Dave Monk 

Copywriter: Matt Waller 

Production Company: Rattling Stick 

Director: Andy McLeod

Hey Whip

Whilst on placement in Adland, I was told to buy this book if I was thinking about a future in advertising...

Luke Sullivan looks at the history of advertising, from the good, to the bad, to the ugly. Apparently the book gives the reader the best ad advice for traditional media as well as an updated version covering possibilities of new media and technologies. Overall the bulk of the book establishes why bad ads sometimes work, why great ads fail, and how you can balance creative work which can sell. 

Something extra to add to my Christmas list. 

More creative advice from Mario

Another amazing book by Mario! 

Pricken's previous book, Creative Advertising, sparked the imaginations of creative professionals. Now Visual Creativity goes one step further.

This practical guide is filled with tips and techniques specifically designed to create whole new worlds of visual ideas. This covers exercises and methods to help all creatives hone their gifted capabilities, produce inspirational campaigns, and move in new directions. I currently have this on loan from the Edward Boyle.

Adam and Eve

A young creative agency based in London offering advertising, communication planning, digital events and design. 

I love their website, it's interactive but not too 'flashy' (inundated levels of flash effects). I especially admire the 'loading' idea....it's genius. 

Have a look:  http://www.adamandevelondon.com/

Mario Pricken's Creative Advertising Advice

Mario Pricken is a creative genius!

The book unravels the creative process behind some of the most effective campaigns of recent years. 

Each page is a homage to over two hundred examples of international advertising from a wide range of media, including magazines, billboards, television, movies, and the Internet.

The layout and design allows each chapter to  highlight different  methods for creating unforgettable ads. I have the older edition and in the past it has been a lifesaver!  But annoyingly a newer edition includes a completely revised and updated introductory chapter plus loads of new examples.  

Reviving flat eric

Flat Eric is back!

Wieden & Kennedy's Tony Davidson and Kim Papworth, are the creative team behind the 1999 Levi's Flat Eric ads and are currently working on a project that will resurrect the iconic puppet.

The project involves the creation of a short film, alongside Flat Eric’s creator, Quentin Dupieux. He invented the character for his own short film but it was later picked up by Davidson and Papworth for their Levi account. After much success in the past, this all sounds exciting!

Hot with the chance of a late storm

Sculpture by the Sea is a yearly event that showcases artists work along Sydney’s Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk, The event demonstrates a variety of sculptures and installations provoking much debate. One sculpture that recieved vast attention was a giant melting Mr. Whippy Ice-cream Van, entitled “Hot with the chance of a late storm”. The van was created by Johnathon Kneebone and James Dives from Advertising Agency ‘The Glue Society’. The concept aim is a statement on the perils of Global Warming and with a hefty price tag of $22000, an expensive if deserving cause. 

Nevertheless I have a fascination with the freedom of ambient media.

Think Skool

This is amazing!

A very conceptual campaign from the School of Visual Arts to encourage the idea of creative thinking. The execution allows students to write down their thoughts literally anywhere around campus, so there's no excuse when it comes to having no ideas. This isn't surprising considering their tutors include the likes of Stefan Sagmeister, Paula Scher and Milton Glaser! 

Agency: KNARF New York, USA

Creative Director: Frank Anselmo

Art Directors: Jeseok Yi, Frank Anselmo

Copywriters: Frank Anselmo, Jeseok Yi

Photographer: Billy Siegrist

Before You Turn Away, Put Yourself In My Place

Imagine if you were homeless... well that's exactly what Weingart's wants you to do!

To raise awareness for their homeless center, Weingart wanted to make people imagine themselves being homeless. But we're not talking a night on the streets or rummaging for scraps to eat, it's only a homeless experience that lasts for a minute or to. They started by photographing people living on the streets of LA and gave each of them a blank cardboard to sign and had them write the same message: Before you turn away, put yourself in my place. Followed by the URL, weingart.org. Then they took those images, blew them up life-size, removed their faces and made them into photo-realistic cardboard cutouts. The cutouts were placed in upscale shopping centers in Bevery Hills and Santa Monica. 

Such a great campaign as it's sometimes hard to approach issues like this, the success really does lie in making everyday people part of the awareness. This new approach helped to raise funds for Weingart..

Agency: David & Goliath Los Angeles, USA.

McCann's Office

In April, I was lucky enough to work at McCann Ericksson. 

A global advertising agency network, with offices in over 130 countries, Mccan are second in the top 100 ad agencies worldwide.

The placement took place at their London office in Russel Square.

The office itself used to be a retro car park so the building was constructed like a giant spiral staircase. 

Every element of the decor has been painted white with black sketchy ink illustrations scrawled across it. Each illustration is unique, and somewhat random. 

Imagine allowing a big friendly giant to doodle all over the walls, that kind of thing. I was constantly admiring and taking in every snippet of 'inspiration', as I made my way to make my cup of tea!

With the sketches and brainstorms scattered here and there, it was almost like being able to roam around a creative brain. It really does give you insight into McCann's ethos and I suppose their aim is to make you feel apart of that. 

Top 10 Surreal Ads

"1971, and a pair of chimpanzees dressed as removal men carry a piano down some stairs. 1974, and a bunch of cackling Martians are sitting in a spaceship discussing mashed potato. 1993, and pianos fall out of the desert sky while a fat man painted gold strews marbles in front of a speeding car. 1999, the crests of waves transform into gigantic white horses. Move over Dali, the admen are in town." 

Robert Saville.

From an article in Campaign which asks the question:

Is using surrealism in ads the work of lazy creatives or a genuinely effective way of getting a message across?

10.Orangina 'animal lust' by FFL 

Paris, 2008

Anthropomorphised creatures straddling spouting bottles of Orangina, from the dark wit of the Paris-based duo Fred Raillard and Farid Mokart.

9. Cheestrings ‘Mr Strings’ by Fallon, 2009

One of the more recent ads out of the surrealist stables, the ominous presence of 'Mr Strings' makes for bizarre viewing

8.Tango ‘orange man’ by HHCL, 1992

A prime example of the humorous power of surrealism, this HHCL ad became a classic of its time

7.Starburst ‘bus stop’ by TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, 2007 

Proving itself to be full of surrealist ideas, this spot from TBWA\Chiat\Day featured a very lively singing elf with a passion for berries and cream

6.Guinness ‘surfer’ by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, 1999

You could not get two more incongrous items than a fish and a bicycle - perfect fodder for a surrealist spot

5.Cadbury Dairy Milk ‘gorilla’ by Fallon, 2007

Proving surrealism was the order of the day for awards juries, this ad, featuring the now famous drumming gorilla, scooped all the top gongs in 2008

4. Skittles ‘touch’ by TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, 2007

The surreal tale of Tim, who turned everything he touched to Skittles, went on to win gold at Cannes

3. Guinness ‘fish on a bike’ by Ogilvy & Mather, 1997

A combination of tanned surfers and CGI technology made for an award-winning, visually confounding ad

2.Stella Artois ‘bench’ by Lowe London, 2005

Three men suffer surreal fates when they give in to the temptation of tasting Stella's forbidden fruit

1.Benson & Hedges ‘iguana’ by CDP, 1978

A helicopter, an iguana - all unexplained but an ingenious way of avoiding restrictions from the golden age of CDP

Surrealism in advertising is not a recent trend it's been roaming around adland since the 1930s.

Companies such as Shell and Ford were already referencing surrealist art in their poster campaigns, with Ford's V8 ad carrying a Rene Magritte-esque eye, and Shell's 1938 "zero" poster featuring similarly inspired imagery.

There's limitless possibilities with surrealist imagery - anything from bright pink lip sofas to lobster phones...which seems to appeal to a creatives' pursuit of original ideas, if kind of selfish.

Here's adlands point of view:

"It allows creatives, who don't want to do the same as everyone else, to do whatever they want." Matt Koen, Fallon Creative behind 'Mr Strings'

"The thing with surrealism is that, perhaps more than any other creative technique, you've got to get it right. Otherwise, rather than inspiring, captivating or amusing your audience, you're simply leaving them confused, bored or indignant," Paul Brazier, the executive creative director at Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

I like the idea of referencing a world that rejects logic and reasoning, allowing creatives to have free range to indulge their imagination, but some say this is often at the expense of the idea's efficacy making surrealism an option for lazy creatives.

There seems to be a love/hate relationship with surrealism and adland, which makes it a good topic to debate about. Saying this, I did come across Robert Saville's more balanced view:

"Surrealism in advertising is nothing new, but this shouldn't surprise anyone, should it? British culture has always been in love with the absurd. From Alice In Wonderland to The Goon Show, to Monty Python to The Mighty Boosh; the ridiculous and the surreal has formed the bedrock of our sense of humour for hundreds of years. Our Germanic cousins laugh at fart gags, the French love slapstick but show a Brit two grown men hitting each other with oversized fish and we'll be rolling in the aisles. Using surrealism in advertising isn't some clever, modern trick or trend, it's just writing that plays to the uniquely British love of the absurd. Perhaps it's because absurdity is so fundamental to our culture that it took the French to intellectualise it and give it a name. To the British, "surrealism" is frequently just another word for "funny".

Not sure about that one, surrealism = funny. I think there's more to it than that, but I do agree with a fascination with the absurd.

These Aren't Just Any Pencils...

These Are D&AD Pencils....

After recently browsing through entries for the student awards, I thought I would have to include a post about D&AD.

Most creatives will  instantly recognise yellow pencil and all will want to own one sooner or later.By 'ownin'g or should I say 'winning' a d&ad pencil, a creative's  talent is showcased worldwide. D&AD is an educational charity that represents the global creative, design and advertising communities. From 1962, it has set industry standards, educated and inspired the next generation and, more recently, has demonstrated the impact of creativity and innovation on enhancing business performance. In particular, D&AD's Student Awards is a great opportunity for young creatives to make a name for themselves, and alongside the 'New Blood Exhibition'  the opportunity gain exposure into the industry with the best.

check out:

http://www.dandad.org/

for information of events, awards and workshops.

Tony & Kim

Honda 'Cogs' is one of my favourite campaigns.

One of the reasons I have a fascination for advertising and a passion for art direction. 

In my opinion two of the best in AdLand.

Tony Davidson graduated from Manchester Polytechnic with a BA Hons in Design and Communication Media in 1985. He joined BMP in July of 1985 as a junior art director. The following year he teamed up with Kim Papworth, whom he ended up working with for the last 21 years.

 

 At BMP they worked on many brands including:  Sony and Heinz. After a brief period apart, Davidson and Papworth reunited and moved to Leagas Delaney, where they created the Adidas Euro ‘96 campaign. In 1997, they moved to BBH to work on Levi’s (Flat Eric), Audi and Lynx. As creative directors in September 2000, they set about building the then flagship Wieden + Kennedy London. The work they have helped create there on Nike, Aiwa and Honda UK had gone global.Davidson and Papworth are the first partners to be appointed from outside Wieden & Kennedy's Portland headquarters and the first appointments to the global board since 1996.

Wieden said: 

"If you want to be a partner at Wieden & Kennedy, you've got to be some kind of saint and some kind of crazy.  

"No-one exemplifies that more profoundly than Tony and Kim. They have raised the bar, broken rules, lifted hearts and shocked the world. 

"There is no office, anywhere, more loved and respected than Wieden & Kennedy London."

Davidson and Papworth have been responsible for a number of award-winning campaigns since they joined the agency in 2000, most notably the Honda "power of dreams" spot, winning two black D&AD Pencils and the Grand Prix at Cannes.

Davidson on Papworth:

"a weird thing, a Yin/Yang balance. Papworth is a feeler who sees stuff; he's a people watcher. I'm the bull in the china shop"

Papworth on Davidson:

"We have similar tastes and share a way of thinking"

On an end note, some inspirational quotes from Davidson:

'the three rules: collect everything- hence his passion for scrapbooks and fleamarkets - and never use an idea until it's right; surround yourself with “inspiring things, people”; and get out of the office - which becomes increasingly difficult.' 

'Creativity, that magic commodity, is the ability to put things together in unexpected ways'

“Kim's dyslexic and can't really write, and I'm not a great art director. But somehow it works.”

Thumbs up to these two geniuses!